Physics PATHS
Program for Advanced Training in Hands-on Science
University of Washington, Seattle
About Our Program
Do Cutting-Edge Research. Build A Community. Explore Physics With Us!
University of Washington faculty perform internationally recognized research across a very wide range of areas; from the universe's first stars to quantum computing, from imaging the brain with superconducting magnetometers to helping teach advanced laboratory techniques. The Physics Program for Advanced Training in Hands-on Science (PATHS) offers a unique opportunity for motivated community colleges students to gain hands-on experience in physics laboratories at the University of Washington, Seattle. Participants are paid to do up to 8 hours a week of research starting ~6 months before they transfer. This early exposure helps students envision themselves studying at a four-year institution, build support networks, and gain research experience they can use to further their careers. After they transfer, students can continue to perform research in the lab and become the undergraduate mentors for the next cohort of Community College transfer students.
PATHS is an expansion of the community college transfer program that has been operating out of Miguel Morales' Radio Cosmology (RadCos) group since 2009. This program has been helping Washington community college students become physics majors, with many students continuing to graduate school and four students (to date) having completed their physics PhDs. We are currently expanding the program with four research groups for the 2024-2025 season.
Where Do I Start?
Ready To Find A Group?
What Does The Research Look Like?
What Are My Research Options? What Does The Day-To-Day Research Look Like?
After joining a research group as a Physics PATHS student, you will have the opportunity to work in collaboration with other UW undergraduate and graduate students in a lab on the UW Seattle campus. PATHS students will be paired with other incoming transfer students so they can support each other as they learn python programming, advanced data visualization and hands-on experimental procedures. Each pair is directly mentored by a postdoc or graduate student, with weekly individual meetings and very lively slack and whiteboard discussions as well as weekly in-person group meetings. This community both helps students learn research skills and to develop the confidence and study partners needed to succeed in physics.
After transferring, Physics PATHS students have the opportunity to continue working for their research group throughout their time as an undergraduate on the UW Seattle campus and can become undergraduate mentors for the next generation of PATHS community college transfer students.
Explore Research Groups
Ready To Apply?
Nominate Your Student
Know A Student Who Would Be Great For This Program?
Community College Physics Professors are our best source of students for PATHS. That special student who wants to be a physics or astronomy major, has that spark for science, and is often more talented than they realize is the perfect student for PATHS. We understand how talented community college students are—they often become our best majors. But transferring to UW is hard and can be very intimidating. PATHS is designed to use undergraduate research to help community college students envision themselves as UW physics majors, gain research experience, and build the social support networks needed to excel at UW.
If you have one of these special students please nominate them for the PATHS program.
Nominate Your Student Today!
Location
University of Washington, Seattle
Department of Physics —
Physics-Astronomy Building
Seattle, Washington State