Session Descriptions

• Session I-A (01/25, 9-10am) and III-A (01/26,10:15 -11:15am) Graduate School Panel: What is it like? What to expect, Hyewon Pechkis (Baker Center, Building 180, Room 262) Panelists: Krystal Maughan, Mengjie Yu, Tugba Ozturk, Michelle Lollie, Ian Lim, and Alek Liguori-Schremp 

  • Learn about different educational pathways, and why graduate school may be right for you

  • Ask questions to experienced graduate students, professors, and alumni

  • Gain valuable knowledge about applying to grad school, and helpful tips that will put you ahead
    
    

• Session II-E (01/25, 4:30-5:30pm) and IV-E (01/26, 1-2pm) How-to Workshop: Applying to Graduate School, Matt Beekman (Baker Center, Building 180, Room 262)

  • What are the steps? How to choose programs

  • How to request letters of recommendation

  • Timelines for application
    
    

• Session I-E (01/25, 9-10am) and III-E (01/26, 10:15-11:15am) How-to Workshop: Write a Personal Statement, Matt Beekman (Baker Center, Building 180, Room 265)

  • Finding your voice

  • Getting the first draft together

  • The importance of feedback

• Session II-A (01/25, 4:30-5:30pm) and IV-A (1/26, 1-2pm) Panel: Careers in Teaching/Education, Stamatis Vokos  (Baker Center, Building 180, Room 261)

Panelists: Jennifer Rushing, Matthew Bremgartner, Dani May, Marie Pink, and Mara Niesyt

• • Ask the experts about teaching and education-related jobs 

  • Single-subject teaching at secondary and post-secondary schools?

  • Explore outreach and education through alternative pathways

• Session I-B ( 01/25, 9:00-10:00am) Industry Panel: Careers in industry with a Physics Degree Matt Moelter 

Panelists: Michelle Lollie, Faezeh Gholami, Linhui Yu, Mady Larkin, Rachel Resnick, Auna Moser and Hannah Simons   

• Session III-B (01/26, 10:15-11:15am) Industry Panel:  Careers in industry with a Physics Degree  Jennifer Klay 

Panelists: Krystal Maughan, Michael Pilgrim, Caroline Fedak, Gabrielle Roberts, and Heather Hoff 

(Both sessions at Baker Center, Building 180, Room 261)

• • Explore opportunities with professionals in various fields

  • How do they achieve work-life balance?

  • Advice for building a network and advancing your career

  • Industry choices: Meet with folks in specific areas of industry, such as nuclear, aerospace, and quantum computing (Frost Center, Building 181, Room 103)
    
    

• Session II-B (01/25, 4:30-5:30pm) and IV-B (01/26, 10:15-11:15am) Career/Industry choices: Meet with folks in specific careers or areas of industry, such as aerospace, quantum computing, and graduate school (Frost Center, Building 181, Room 103)

Panelists: Theresa Lynn, Michael Pilgrim, Faezeh Gholami,  Michelle Lollie, Linhui Yu, Menglie Yu, Tugba Ozturk, Hannah Simons, Mady Larkin, Caroline Fedak, Rachel Resnick, Gabrielle Roberts, David Landhuis, Alek Liguori-Schremp, and Auna Moser  

• • Meet professionals from specific careers or areas of industry and learn how they arrived at their current position

  • What types of jobs can physics-degree holders do in each industry?

  • Advice for landing your first job

• Session I-D (01/25, 9:00-10:00am) and IV-D (01/26, 4:00-5:00pm) Workshop: (Cancelled) Be a Job-Hunting Boss: Landing Jobs & Internships in Industry, Laura McKnight  (I-D: Frost Center, Building 181, Room 122; IV-D: Baker Center, Building 180, Room 265)

  • Identify employment sectors and companies that interest you

  • Tailor your resume to highlight your skills

  • Write a cover letter that sells and prepare for your first interview

• Session I-H ( 01/25, 9-10am) Community College Panel: Transfer from a 2-year to a 4-year college, Erik Veach (Baker Center, Building 180, Room 270)

Panelists: Sierra Sanchez, Terry Guerrero, Karolina Trybula, Abby Bradbury, and Dina Hallmark 

Hear advice and helpful suggestions from students who recently transferred from 2-year to 4-year institutions.  Panel will include students from several different Universities.  They will answer some of the most common questions community college students have about the process of transferring. There will be time for open Q&A. A community college transfer specialist will also be present to help answer technical questions. 

• Session I-C (01/25, 9-10am) and IV-C (01/26, 1- 2pm) Education: Building Belonging and Resilience in Physics, Catherine Good (Frost Center, Building 181, Room 103 for I-C Room 122 for IV-C)

In this interactive workshop, Dr. Catherine Good will explore how identity threats and cultural stereotypes impact motivation, learning, and achievement, particularly for women and gender minorities in physics. Drawing on her research in social psychology and education, Professor Good will guide participants through evidence-based strategies to counteract these challenges, cultivate a growth mindset, and foster a strong sense of belonging in the physics community.

Through engaging discussions and activities, participants will:

• Learn how cultural messages about talent and ability can shape academic experiences.

• Explore the importance of building a positive identity and sense of belonging in physics.

• Practice strategies for navigating academic challenges and developing resilience.

• Reflect on how to create supportive peer and professional networks that encourage persistence in physics.

This workshop is designed to empower undergraduate students to see themselves as capable physicists and valued members of the physics community. It will also provide actionable insights to help participants thrive in graduate school and future careers in physics. Join us to build confidence, connection, and a clear path forward in your physics journey!

• Session II-C (01/25, 4:30pm - 5:30pm) Education: Claiming our Individual and Community Cultural Capital and Wealth, Camille O'Bryant (Frost Center, Building 181, Room 122) Open to everyone!

•  Describe and Discuss Yosso’s (2005) concept of community cultural wealth

•  Explore forms of community cultural wealth that elevate our voices and visibility in “the academy”

•  Celebrate and claim our individual cultural wealth (“I Am” Activity)

•  Identify and “Let Go” of “things” that threaten to undermine our voices and visibility in “the academy         

• Session II-D (01/25, 4:30-5:30pm) Roundtable: Trans+ in Physics, Landon St. James and Linnea Valdivia (Baker Center, Building 180, Room 270)

         Event Description:  

• • The goal is to foster a community atmosphere where participants can talk openly about their identities, challenges, and victories, as well as support each other. 

  • The moderator will offer starter questions, but the space is largely participant-driven.  

  • Respect, confidentiality, and community are key. All participants are encouraged to share at their own comfort level in a judgement free space.  

  • Whether someone is exploring their gender identity or transitioned years ago, everyone’s voice and experience is valued. 

  • A supportive and inclusive space where attendees can connect, share experiences, and discuss issues that affect them. You are not alone! 

• Session III-C (01/26, 10:15 - 11:15am) Education: Gender Identity & Expression, Allyship, and Creating Safe Spaces, Julia Thompson  (Frost Center, Building 181, Room 103) Open to everyone! 

  • Overview of LGBTQIA2S+   

1. Gender Identities 

2. Intersex bodies  

3. Indigenous Perspective 

•  Safe and Affirming Spaces 

1. Pronouns 

2. Addressing Mistakes 

3. Affirming Language 

4. Creating Inclusive Spaces 

•  Allyship as a Student 

1. What does it mean to be an ally? 

2. Small actions, big impact 

• Sessions I-G (01/25, 9-10am) and IV-G (01/26, 1-2pm)  Learn-by-Doing: Quantum Computing, Kat Gillen (Baker Center, Building 180, Rooms 638/639)

  • Learn the weird laws of quantum mechanics that make quantum computing possible

  • Explore some questions of quantum computing through experiment and games!

•  Sessions II-F (01/25, 4:30-5:30pm) and III-F (01/26, 10:15/11:15am)  Learn-by-Doing: Astronomy, David Mitchell (Baker Center, Building 180, Rooms 269)

  • Play with portable spectrographs to learn about different types of spectra

  • Explore how spectroscopy is used by astronomers to learn about the universe

• Sessions II-G, III-G, IV-H. Contributed Research Talks (Frost Center, Building 181, Room 102)

      Session II-G: 01/25, Sat, 4:30-5:30pm  

• • Karen Clark , Physics & Astronomy Department, University of California, Los Angeles 

             Title: Light Detector Commissioning for a Xenon Test Bed at UCLA  

• • Haley Fogg, and Janhavi Singhal, Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara 

       Title: Isla Vista Bubble Chamber (IVBC)  

• • Elizabeth Kunz, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California 

              Title: Fabricating Superconducting Quantum Devices   

      Session III-G: 01/26, Sun, 10:15-11:15am  

• • Carys Garvey, Physics Department, California Lutheran University 

      Title: Machine Learning for Detecting SUSY Events in CERN Collision Data  

• • April Luce, Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara 

             Title: Hera Mission Analysis :  Measuring Seeing and Light Curves for Didymos  

• • Clarissa Zuo, Physics & Astronomy Department, University of California, Los Angeles 

             Title: Estimation of Muon Veto Panel Efficacy Rate  

       Session IV-H: 01/26, Sun, 1:00-2:00pm  

• • Avni Bansal, Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology 

       Title: Challenging the stellar flyby model as an explanation for the distribution of Trans-Neptunian Objects  

• • Reon Allen, Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University, Long Beach 

      Title: Magnetic Cycles of Oscillating Red Giants in Eclipsing Binaries  

• • Swathya Chauhan, Physics & Astronomy Department, University of California, Los Angeles 

       Title: Investigating the Star Formation History of the Old Nuclear Star Cluster at the Galactic Center with the Hubble Space Telescope  

• Poster session 5:30pm - 6:50pm (Frost Center Atrium, Building 181) 

     Poster abstracts can be found here!