Meetings

SUPA meets once a month in The George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics & Astronomy building.

The SUPA lunch meetings are open to everyone in the Physics & Astronomy Department – spanning all levels of faculty, staff, and students. If you are part of this department and interested in attending (and you did not receive the department listserv email), please email supa@physics.tamu.edu or tamu.supa@gmail.com to receive the RSVP link for the monthly meeting.

Anyone in the department is welcome to attend, but we ask that you RSVP so that we can ensure that we have enough food (and funding!) for our meetings. If you would like to be added to the SUPA listserv, please email supa@physics.tamu.edu or tamu.supa@gmail.com with your name and TAMU email address.

October Meeting (2022)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This month is LGBTQIA+ History Month! We will watch and discuss Stonewall Forever - A Documentary about the Past, Present and Future of Pride.

If you would like to see what was discussed, please check out the October 2022 meeting slides.

September Meeting (2022)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This month, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! Due to a generous grant from the TAMU Physics & Astronomy Climate & Diversity Committee, we can now provide lunch for our participants for our Fall 2022 meetings. Peruvian cuisine was provided by local business Fusion Peru.

We had a couple of university organizations come in and talk about what community and support they can offer students: the Latinx Graduate Student Association (LGSA) and The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in STEM (SACNAS)!

Fall Start Meeting (2022)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

In the spirit of SUPA's beginnings, we kick off the Fall 2022 semester with a Minoritized Genders BYO Lunch!

We introduced SUPA as an organization, introduced our officers, ate lunch, did around the room introductions, and presented our Fall 2022 calendar!

SUPA Summer Sessions (2022)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This summer, we have 5 bi-weekly "SUPA Summer Sessions" led by our co-leaders Yaswant Devarakonda, Silvana Delgado, Emily Harris, and Micalyn Rowe! These are more casual, book-club style discussions that we host during the summers focused on various videos, articles, and podcasts on DEI topics. We encourage any extra resources about these topics in the sessions!

SUPA Summer session #5 - Astronomy Advances and Effects on Indigenous Culture: We discussed this podcast titled "Native Stories Podcast" which is a panel discussion on the management on Mauna Kea.

SUPA Summer session #4 - Femininity in STEM: We discussed this TEDx talk by Debbie Sterling on "Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Engineers".

SUPA Summer session #3 - #BlackInPhysics: Blaze Beyond Burnout: In honor of Juneteenth, we discussed this series of essays that were published last year about the burnout experienced by Black physicists and astronomers

SUPA Summer session #2 - PRIDE Month: We hosted a PRIDE Month Celebration!

SUPA Summer session #1 - A People's History of Asian America: We discussed this series of short videos by PBS Voices titled "A People's History of Asian America".

April Meeting (2022)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by TAMU Astronomy Graduate Student Lauren Aldoroty on "Sustainability in Academia".

If you would like to see what was discussed, please check out the April 2022 meeting slides.

April Meeting (2022)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by TAMU Astronomy Graduate Student Lauren Aldoroty on "Sustainability in Academia".

If you would like to see what was discussed, please check out the April 2022 meeting slides.

SUPA meeting for March (2022) was CANCELLED.

February Meeting (2022)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leader Yaswant Devarakonda on "Mentoring Underrepresented Minorities".

If you would like to see what was discussed, please check out the February 2022 meeting slides.

January Meeting (2022)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a LGBTQ+ Pride Center presenter take us through their LGBTQ+ 101 program. This program goes over the difference between sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression/presentation, and sexual/romantic orientation and includes an activity to bring attention to daily assumptions we make about identity. It also reviews gender-inclusive pronouns and how to create a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ identifying people and common micro-aggressions that may be seen.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the LGBTQ+ 101 slides. You can also learn more about these programs on the LGBTQ+ Pride Center webpage!

SUPA meeting for December (2021) was CANCELLED. Happy holidays!!!

November Meeting (2021)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leaders Emily Harris and Silvana Delgado-Andrade on "Femininity in Academia".

If you would like to see what was discussed, please check out the November 2021 meeting slides.

October Meeting (2021)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leader Micalyn Rowe on "Cultural Appropriation". With Halloween coming up, this conversation is an important one to be had.

If you would like to see what was discussed, please check out the October 2021 meeting slides.

September Meetings (2021)

Hybrid: In-person and Zoom

This month, we will be having 2 meetings!

For our first meeting, we will be introducing our new leadership for the 2021-2022 academic school year! We will also be going over a recap of what was discussed during the 2021 SUPA Summer Sessions.

If you would like to see what was discussed, please check out the September 2021 intro meeting slides.

For our second meeting, we will be having a discussion led by co-leaders and TAMU P&A Department SOAR Summit Representatives Silvana Delgado-Andrade and Yaswant Devarakonda on departmental changes that we want to see in upcoming years as students, faculty, and staff. They will pass this information on in the upcoming TAMU Physics & Astronomy Department SOAR Summit, which will help guide the direction of our department in years to come.

If you would like to see what was discussed, please check out the September 2021 meeting slides.

SUPA Summer Session #5 (August 2021)

Zoom

This summer, we will be having our final bi-weekly "SUPA Summer Session" led by co-leader Yaswant Devarakonda! We have short podcasts, YouTube videos, and online episodes for you to watch/listen to before the meeting, and we will discuss these fascinating topics over lunch. Please feel free to bring any extra resources about this topic to this session!

Our fifth and final SUPA Summer Session resource is titled "Prideland". This is a series of 6 episodes, about 7 minutes each, by PBS Voices on LGBTQ+ life in the Southern United States.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the series of videos "Prideland".

SUPA Summer Session #4 (July 2021)

Zoom

This summer, we will be having bi-weekly "SUPA Summer Sessions" led by co-leader Yaswant Devarakonda! We have short podcasts, YouTube videos, and online episodes for you to watch/listen to before the meeting, and we will discuss these fascinating topics over lunch. Please feel free to bring any extra resources about these topics to the sessions!

Our fourth SUPA Summer Session resource is titled "Implicit Bias". This is a YouTube video by activist Melanie Funchess about recognizing our implicit biases and moving forward as individuals through a better understanding of it.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the video "Implicit Bias".

SUPA Summer Session #3 (July 2021)

Zoom

Our third SUPA Summer Session resource is titled "The Sum of Our Parts". This is an episode of the NPR podcast “Code Switch” on the pros and cons of umbrella terms such as “POC”.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the podcast "The Sum of Our Parts".

SUPA Summer Session #2 (July 2021)

Zoom

Our second SUPA Summer Session resource is titled "The Problem with "Google is Free" Activism". This is a video by Rowan Ellis, a queer YouTuber, on the role activists play in educating the public on social justice issues.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the video "The Problem with "Google is Free" Activism".

SUPA Summer Session #1 (June 2021)

Zoom

Our first SUPA Summer Session resource is titled "Eat the Rich". As Juneteenth approaches, this episode of the NPR podcast "Invisibilia" is about an interesting reparation experiment done in Vermont during Summer 2020.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the podcast "Eat the Rich".

SUPA meeting for May (2021) was CANCELLED.

April Meeting (2021)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leader Yaswant Devarakonda, co-leader Tarini Konchady, and co-leader Micalyn Rowe reviewing topics that have been covered this Spring 2021 semester. We will also discuss how justice for George Floyd must lead to justice for all, anti-trans/intersex bills in the Texas Legislature, ending AAPI hate, and how to help!

We are also looking for new officers for the 2021-2022 academic year! If you are interested, please reach out at supa@physics.tamu.edu or tamu.supa@gmail.com.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the AIP TEAM-UP Report, February 2021 meeting slides, March 2021 meeting slides, and April 2021 meeting slides.

March Meeting (2021)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leader Tarini Konchady and co-leader Micalyn Rowe on "Disability and Accessibility in Academia".

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the March 2021 meeting slides.

February Meeting (2021)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leader Yaswant Devarakonda on "Performative Masculinity in Society, Culture, and Academia".

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the February 2021 meeting slides.

January Meeting (2021)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leader Micalyn Rowe and co-leader Silvana Delgado-Andrade on "Mental Health During a Pandemic", and resources to help!

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the January 2021 meeting slides.

SUPA meeting for December (2020) was CANCELLED. Happy holidays!!!

November Meeting (2020)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leader Yaswant Devarakonda and co-leader Tarini Konchady on the TAMU Physics & Astronomy department's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the November 2020 meeting slides.

October Meeting (2020)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion led by co-leaders Yaswant Devarakonda and Silvana Delgado-Andrade on our department's actions and efforts based on our previous discussions on the discriminations faced by the BIPOC community, with a focus on issues in academia.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the July 2020 meeting notes, October 2020 meeting notes, and October 2020 meeting slides.

September Meeting (2020)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a TAMU STAND Up facilitator take us through their STAND Up Virtual Overview. This overview provides us with general information about the impacts of trauma related to experiencing power-based personal violence and basic knowledge of trauma-informed response & relevant resources.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the STAND Up overview slides. You can also learn more about these workshops on the STAND Up webpage!

August Meeting (2020)

Zoom

This month, we will be introducing our new leadership for the 2020-2021 academic school year! We will also be going over a recap of what was discussed during the summer 2020 meetings.

If you would like to find out what was discussed, please check out the August 2020 meeting slides.

July Meeting (2020)

Zoom

This month, we will be having a discussion on what exactly the term "under-represented minority" means and how it is used in academia. We'll also be building off of last month's meeting and brainstorming ways to make the department a healthier and more equitable place.

June Meeting (2020)

Zoom

In light of the horrific murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others that came before them, this month we will be hosting a discussion on the discriminations faced by the Black community, with a focus on issues in academia.

This is the bare minimum that we should do. We should do MUCH more than this, too, and we should fight to not lose momentum. Find our Statement of Support for Black Lives Matter here.

May Meeting (2020)

Zoom

This month we will have a check-in meeting and see how everyone's doing and if there are any ways we can support you. Check your emails for the Zoom link!

April Meeting (2020) — CANCELLED

COVID-19

Due to COVID-19 and the shutdowns across campus and the "shelter-in-place" order by the state, the April meeting for SUPA has been cancelled. HOWEVER we will be having a meeting next month, so stay tuned!

Please stay safe and self-isolate! Also wash your hands!

March Meeting (2020) — CANCELLED

COVID-19

Due to COVID-19 and the shutdowns across campus and the "shelter-in-place" order by the state, the March meeting for SUPA has been cancelled. Please stay safe and self-isolate! Also wash your hands!

February Meeting (2020)

This month we will be having a discussion led by co-leaders Yaswant Devarakonda and Tarini Konchady on the report recently put out by the National Task Force to Elevate African American representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy (TEAM-UP).

If you want to read the report yourself, here is the link. We highly encourage all levels of faculty, staff, and students to join our discussion.

January Meeting (2020)

The time is here! It's time for TAMU's hosting of the Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics! We're very excited to have all of these amazing undergraduate women come to our campus and participate in this amazing conference. Our SUPA members have been very involved in making sure everything will flow smoothly and that we are all set up.

As an extra treat, former SUPA member Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Zhdanova will be talking about technical consulting and the opportunities available at her company, Exponent: Engineering & Scientific Consulting.

December Meeting (2019) — CANCELLED

The December meeting for SUPA has been cancelled. Have a wonderful holiday and stay safe, everyone!

November Meeting (2019) — CANCELLED

The November meeting for SUPA has been cancelled.

October Meeting (2019)

This month will be lead by SUPA member Derek Anderson. Below is a brief description:

"In its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, A&M has prioritized the physical, emotional, and social well-being of its employees and students. No doubt, our well-being in all these dimensions is of vital importance and have been woefully under-prioritized for quite some time. But this begs the question: what does well-being (physical, emotional, and social) actually entail? And, perhaps more importantly, what would a graduate program that places our well-being at the fore actually look like? In this month's SUPA we will have a group discussion of these and related questions. Hope to see you there!"

September Meeting (2019)

This month we will be hearing from hearing from members of our Local Organizing Committee for the TAMU hosting of the Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics about the current status of the conference preparations. This is an excellent time to get involved in the conference planning and/or learn more about this fantastic event!

After the conference overview and updates, the rest of our time will be devoted to socializing and getting to know the new members of our SUPA community. Come welcome everyone to SUPA!

SUPA meetings for June, July, & August were CANCELLED due to scheduling conflicts and changing of leadership.

May Meeting (2019)

This month we have a series of rapid-fire talks by SUPA members covering the following:

How Unions Could Fight Harassment in STEM
Exploring the YouTube Science communication gender gap
"A toxic culture of overwork": Inside the graduate student mental health crisis
AAS Diversity & Inclusion Task Force Final Report
The Problem with Scientific Credit (Nobel Prize-related)

April Meeting (2019)

This month's discussion was led by SUPA member Aysan Bahari, working on a second installment of the activities in our March 2019 meeting.

March Meeting (2019)

This month's discussion was led by SUPA member Aysan Bahari, breaking us into small groups and having us practice interactive discussions that enable us to push past surface-level awkward conversations with colleagues and dive into meaningful ones.

February Meeting (2019)

This month's discussion was led by co-founder Taylor Hutchison and co-leader Tarini Konchady, where we broke into groups and discussed what we, individually, would like to see offered at a diversity-focused conference. While this is an important topic in general, this discussion was also useful in the framework of planning for the upcoming Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) that we will be hosting in January 2020.

January Meeting (2019) — CANCELLED

Due to the beginning of the Spring semester and the re-settling of weekly schedules, the January lunch meeting for SUPA has been cancelled.

The official meeting time for the Spring 2019 semester is 14:00 (2:00pm) so that more SUPA members are able to attend.

December Meeting (2018)

This month's discussion was led by co-founder Katelyn Stringer, focusing on personal appearance and presentation at work.

November Meeting (2018)

This month's discussion we heard about Particle for Justice, our Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics application, and from one of our members (Alex Riley) who had just attended the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) conference.

October Meeting (2018)

The October meeting for SUPA was held on Friday, June 22th, at 10:15am.

This month's discussion was led by co-leader Tarini Konchady, focusing on accent bias.

September Meeting (2018) – CANCELLED

Due to the significant scheduling conflicts, the September lunch meeting for SUPA has been cancelled.

August Meeting (2018) – CANCELLED

Due to the beginning of the academic year and the re-settling of weekly schedules, the August lunch meeting for SUPA has been cancelled.

July Meeting (2018)

The July lunch meeting for SUPA was held on Thursday, July 19th, at 12:00pm.

In honor of the recent inaugural LGBTSTEM day on July 5th, our discussion topic focused on the contributions of LGBTQ+ physicists and astronomers.

LGBTSTEM Day

June Meeting (2018)

The June lunch meeting for SUPA was held on Friday, June 22th, at 12:00pm.

This month's discussion was led by SUPA member Aysan Bahari, focusing on challenges that international students face in general in the US and also in Physics & Astronomy.

May Meeting (2018)

The May lunch meeting for SUPA will be held this Friday, May 11th, at 11:30am.

This month, we will be having a community discussion and voting on our group's mission statement -- the statement by which we will continue to conduct our group.

April Meeting (2018)

The April lunch meeting for SUPA will be held this Friday, April 13th, at 11:30am.

This month, we will be having a community discussion about our group's mission statement, upcoming group elections, and the general climate.

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