Welcome to the web site for Zone 7 of the Society of Physics Students (SPS)! The Society of Physics Students is a professional organization for students who are interested in physics. Membership in SPS is organized through collegiate chapters. Zone 7 encompasses nearly 100 chapters located in the lower peninsula of Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and the western edge of Pennsylvania.
SPS zones exist to provide regional grouping of chapters for purposes of representation on the SPS National Council. In addition, each zone is encouraged to have at least one zone meeting each year to bring together students from the chapters in the zone. Zone meetings provide important networking opportunities between SPS members, chapters, and the professional physics community.
Each zone is represented on the SPS National Council by an Associate Zone Councilor and a Zone Councilor. The Associate Zone Councilor is a student member, while the Zone Councilor is a professional physicist who has demonstrated a continuing interest in SPS. The Associate Zone Councilor serves a 1 year term, while the Zone Councilor serves a 3 year term.
For the 2025-26 academic year, Zone 7 is represented by
Associate Zone Councilor: Ella Baldwin, Grove City College
Zone Councilor: Prof. Laura DeGroot, The College of Wooster
If you are a member of an SPS chapter in Zone 7, please reach out to the Associate Zone Councilor or Zone Councilor to find out more about the activities of the national SPS or how to host a zone meeting on your campus. Additional contact information is available from the Contact page.
Our Zone Council provides additional guidance and perspective. The Zone Council is composed of student volunteers and chaired by the Associate Zone Councilor. For the 2025-26 academic year, the members of the Zone Council are:
Ella Baldwin (Grove City College, Grove City, Pennsylvania)
Additional members will be appointed by the Zone Councilor.
Please contact the Associate Zone Councilor or Zone Councilor if you are interested in participating in the Zone Council.
The SPS National Office maintains two mailing lists for Zone 7, one for chapter officers and one for chapter advisers. If you are a chapter officer or chapter adviser and are not receiving occasional email messages from these lists, then please contact the Associate Zone Councilor or Zone Councilor and/or the SPS National Office.
The zone also maintains a Zone 7 YouTube channel with video recordings of presentations from previous zone meetings.
Finally, the zone has a Discord server, where you can talk to other chapters, get help on homework, or plan virtual events!