Embedded Files
Physics Senior Celebration
Physics Senior Celebration
Friday, May 22, 11 am (EST)
Friday, May 22, 11 am (EST)
Join us while we celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2020! Watch as each student is introduced by a faculty member and we announce the winner of the Cutkosky Award. Enjoy a video montage, and listen as Prof. Fred Gilman delivers the closing remarks.
Underrepresented Figures in Science Talk Series:
Underrepresented Figures in Science Talk Series:
Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham
Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham
Tuesday, April 7, 5:30 - 6:30 pm EST
Tuesday, April 7, 5:30 - 6:30 pm EST
Hosted by the CMU Women in Science group.
Hosted by the CMU Women in Science group.
Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham became the Director of the Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute in 2018. Her innovative work in auditory neuroscience has been recognized by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Whitaker Foundation, and the Vannevar Bush Fellows program.
She has held numerous elected and appointed leadership positions in professional organizations such as the Association for Research in Otolaryngology and the Acoustical Society of America, and serves as on numerous advisory boards within both academia and industry.
Outside of academics, she is an oboe player, a fencer (who won 5th in the World Veteran 50 Women Sabre Individual Competition in Cairo, Egypt), and many more. Come hear this legendary woman tell her life stories!
This talk will be delivered online via Zoom.
Meeting ID: 123 008 659
Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/833007913877895/ for more information.
Juniors Zoom Toward the Future
Juniors Zoom Toward the Future
April 1, 2020, 4:30 - 6:00 pm
April 1, 2020, 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Formerly known as the Junior Dinner, all junior physics majors are strongly encouraged to attend this remote event to learn about grad school and career options. Any questions you have about applying to grad school, which industries to pursue, or how to translate your degree into real-world marketable skills, will be answered in this informational Zoom session.
Please use Zoom to tune in at 4:30 pm EST on Wednesday, April 1. There will be a brief introductory presentation, followed by separate specific discussion groups. Links to the separate discussions will be provided during the event.
Major Declaration Party
Major Declaration Party
February 26, 2020, 4:30 - 6:00 pm, Wean Hall 7316
February 26, 2020, 4:30 - 6:00 pm, Wean Hall 7316
We are approaching the time when first year students choose a major. To celebrate, please join us for food, cake, and beverages, where upper-class physics majors can come and pass on their wisdom, and first years can get a sense of what it means to be a physics major. We strive to be a community that welcomes everybody and provides support for its members.
And of course, we will have the forms so that first year students can declare at the party, and then celebrate with their new department!
Why Trust Science?
Why Trust Science?
This talk excerpts Professor Oreskes’ most recent book, Why Trust Science? published in 2019 by Princeton University Press.
This talk excerpts Professor Oreskes’ most recent book, Why Trust Science? published in 2019 by Princeton University Press.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Porter Hall 100
5:00-6:00 pm (book signing to follow)
Speaker: Naomi Oreskes
Abstract
Abstract
Do doctors know what they are talking about when they tell us vaccines are safe? Should we take climate experts at their word when they warn us about the perils of global warming? Why should we trust science when our own politicians don't? In this talk, Naomi Oreskes offers a bold and compelling defense of science, but not for the reasons you might think. Professor Oreskes argues that science is not reliable because of “the scientific method.” Nor is it reliable because scientists are exceptionally smart or ethical people. (They may or may not be.)
Contrary to popular belief, there is no single scientific method. Rather, the trustworthiness of scientific claims derives from the social process by which they are rigorously vetted. This process is not perfect—nothing ever is when humans are involved—but she draws vital lessons from cases where scientists got it wrong. Oreskes shows how consensus is a crucial indicator of when a scientific matter has been settled, and when the knowledge produced is likely to be trustworthy.
Naomi Oreskes is professor of the history of science and affiliated professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Harvard University. A world-renowned geologist, historian and public speaker, she is a leading voice on the role of science in society and the reality of anthropogenic climate change.
Oreskes is author or co-author of 7 books, and over 150 articles, essays and opinion pieces, including, most recently, Discerning Experts (University Chicago Press, 2019), Why Trust Science? (Princeton University Press, 2019), and Science on a Mission: American Oceanography from the Cold War to Climate Change, (University of Chicago Press, forthcoming). Merchants of Doubt, co-authored with Erik Conway, was the subject of a documentary film of the same name produced by participant Media and distributed by SONY Pictures Classics, and has been translated into nine languages. In July 2019 she was awarded the British Academy Medal for her books with Erik M. Conway, Merchants of Doubt and The Collapse of Western Civilization (Bloomsbury Press), and her commitment to documenting the role of corporations in distorting scientific findings for political ends. A new edition of Merchants of Doubt, with an introduction by Al Gore, will be published in 2020.
Twitter: @NaomiOreskes
Professor Oreskes’ visit is co-sponsored by the University Lecture Series, the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Program, and the Carnegie Mellon University chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
“NO MORE LEAD PIPES!”
“NO MORE LEAD PIPES!”
Wednesday, February 19, 4:30-5:30, Tepper Simmons A
Global Public Health Brigades will be hosting 2 speakers, one from Clean Water Action and one from P.W.S.A., to discuss water safety and quality in Pittsburgh.
Madeline Weiss, a community organizer from the Pittsburgh non-profit Clean Water Action will be discussing her role and current projects. Clean Water Action is an environmental advocacy group whose mission is to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life. One of their many projects focuses on protecting Pittsburgh’s water from lead contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that lead in drinking water can be 20% or more of a person’s lead exposure. To combat this, they are promoting the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) to prevent lead leaching out of pipes and plumbing fixtures and monitoring to assess lead in water systems. Madeline’s advice will be of particular use to those who live or are planning on living off campus. She will also share the importance of water filter choice since many Brita filters do not filter lead.
Dan Duffy from PWSA will speak about the actions PWSA is also taking to solve these issues. PWSA is a municipal authority in Pittsburgh. It is responsible for water treatment and delivery systems in the city of Pittsburgh, as well as the city's sewer system.
RSVP: https://forms.gle/EaW79C3NHrHnTjwYA
Links to Clean Water Action and PWSA websites for more information: https://www.cleanwateraction.org/states/pennsylvania/campaigns
Earth Day 50th Anniversary Lecture
Earth Day 50th Anniversary Lecture
Physics’ Diane Turnshek will share the latest on light pollution in Pittsburgh and what can be done about it in her lecture “The Sky is Calling.”
Feb. 13, 4:30 p.m., Margaret Morrison Breed Hall 103.
Right: Watch Turnshek's TedxPittsburgh 2015 talk, "De-Light the Night."
Consulting 101 Webinar
Consulting 101 Webinar
CMU's vendor for case interviewing practice, Management Consulted, will be offering a free “Consulting 101 webinar” on Wednesday, February 12th from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The consultant will highlight aspects of the resources, including strategies for practicing for case interviewing, and open it up for general questions about consulting.
This is open to students from all colleges who are interested in consulting. Register on Handshake here: Consulting 101 with Management Consulted (virtual session)
Students who do not have already have a Management Consulted account may register via this link: https://managementconsulted.com/cmu-student-registration/
Questions can be directed to Rachel Rosenfeld.
CUWiP
CUWiP
Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
January 17-19, 2020
CMU is one of the conference sites for 2020!
If you'd like to help out with the conference please contact Becca Rapp at rrapp@andrew.cmu.edu
The goal of APS CUWiP is to help undergraduate women continue in physics by providing them with the opportunity to experience a professional conference, information about graduate school and professions in physics, and access to other women in physics of all ages with whom they can share experiences, advice, and ideas. The national and local organizing committees of APS CUWiP strive to create a welcoming environment for all, including undergraduate women and gender minorities.
A typical program will include research talks by faculty, panel discussions about graduate school and careers in physics, presentations and discussions about women in physics, laboratory tours, student research talks, a student poster session, and several meals during which presenters and students interact with each other.
West Virginia University is hosting a Conference for Undergraduate Women in Astronomy in November this year. This meeting will be along the lines of the very popular CUWiP meetings, but focused on astronomy, with a mix of research talks, career sessions, and breakout workshops on various issues affecting women in STEM. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the discoverer of pulsars and winner of the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, will present a keynote address. The conference will start on November 1 at 6 pm and end on November 3 at noon and will be free of charge to all attendees (except transportation).
Learn more at https://sites.google.com/view/cuwia/home
Provost Jim Garrett invites you to celebrate the 2018 recipient of the Dickson Prize in Science:
Emery N. Brown, Edward Hood Taplin Professor of Medical Engineering and Computational Neuroscience at MIT, Warren M. Zapol Professor of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School and anesthesiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital
Award Ceremony and Lecture
Thursday, October 10 , 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Rangos Ballroom, Cohon University Center
A reception will immediately follow the lecture.
Buhl Lecture
Buhl Lecture
October 8, 2019, 3:00 PM
October 8, 2019, 3:00 PM
Suzanne Staggs, a renowned cosmologist from Princeton, will speak about the cosmic microwave background and her work as Principal Investigator on ACTPol and founding member of the Simons Observatory. Look for posters and more information as the date approaches.
Physics Department Barbecue
Physics Department Barbecue
September 26, 4:30-6:30 PM
Outside of Wean 5th floor
SPS will be hosting a free barbecue to all Physics faculty, students, etc. We will be serving free hamburgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, drinks, s'mores, and other fine foods perfect for a mid-September BBQ! It is a great chance to enjoy free food while getting to meet undergrads, grads, faculty, and staff from the physics department--everyone is welcome. Also, we will be selling physics t-shirts at the event! They are $10 dollars a shirt (cash or venmo). We hope to see everyone there!
This Thursday (09/19) at 4:30 in DH A301D, come join the Society of Physics Students as we launch potatoes from Flagstaff Hill! Come to ponder about classical kinematics or perhaps even spacetime geodesics while dining on free pizza. After meeting in A301D, we will promptly head over to Flagstaff Hill given the weather cooperates and shoot potatoes at nonexistent foes! In the case of rainy weather, we shall remain in A301D and watch "Look Around You"--a series renowned for its outstanding accuracy and complete lack of sarcasm. Learn about the ominous Helvetica Scenario or the underappreciated Industrial Strength Calcium while lounging and eating pizza.
Jobs Workshop (for seniors)
Jobs Workshop (for seniors)
September 11, 4:30-6:00, Doherty Hall A301D
If you are planning to get a job after graduation next year (2019), or in the future, please come. We will go over the details of how to prepare for the job market. It is important that you get started on this process right now, so attend this meeting if at all possible. Please RSVP by Friday, August 30th to https://forms.gle/HvMhQ3ggtHKky76C7
2019 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Information Sessions for Students
2019 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Information Sessions for Students
Tuesday, September 10, from 5:30-7pm
University of Pittsburgh, Cathedral of Learning, 37th floor
Dr. Susan Finger
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Associate Dean for IDeATe Program
Grad School Workshop
Grad School Workshop
September 5, 4:30-6:00, Doherty Hall A301D
All the information you need if you want to go to graduate school from two professors with long experience helping students get in and chairing the CMU Graduate Admissions committee. RSVP by Wednesday, August 29th to https://forms.gle/APNGEk5ceu3mqNqm9
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