2023 Fall Zone 7 Meeting

Meeting Summary

The Fall 2023 Zone Meeting for SPS Zone 7 was held on October 20-21, 2022, on the campus of Cleveland State University in conjunction with the Fall 2023 Meeting of the Eastern Great Lakes Section of the American Physical Society (EGLS APS).  The meeting was locally hosted by the Cleveland State University SPS chapter. 

The theme of the EGLS APS meeting was "Physics at the Nanoscale," and the final program is available from the meeting host's web site. There was no cost for students to attend the zone meeting, but they needed to register at the EGLS APS Fall 2023 Meeting's web site. Students also needed to set up a free APS account to register for the EGLS APS meeting. Note that free APS membership  is available for students who are first-time APS members (yes, it's really free!).  Advanced registration for the EGLS APS Meeting was available online through October 6. 

To guarantee a seat at the banquet, students could purchase banquet tickets for $10 during registration. However, a limited number of free banquet tickets were available for undergraduate students at the meeting venue. However, to receive a free ticket, students needed to register for the zone meeting at the SPS Fall 2023 Zone 7 Meeting Registration site.  

Students were encouraged but not required to present a poster or talk, and awards were given by EGLS APS for the best poster and oral presentation by undergraduate students. Abstracts had to be submitted via the link on the EGLS APS Fall 2023 Meeting's web site and were due by October 1. Students who are not presenting at the EGLS APS meeting do not need to be an APS or SPS member to participate in the SPS zone meeting activities (except for the banquet).  But, of course, we encourage all students to join SPS to take advantage of its great benefits!  

A limited number of EGLS APS student travel scholarships were available for undergraduate students traveling to the meeting from outside of the Cleveland area to CSU to attend the meeting.  Travel scholarships were limited to one per institution and covered up to $100 in travel costs. Applicants were encouraged to team up with other meeting attendees for travel and lodging purposes and needed to register for the meeting. Student travel applications were available from the from the meeting host's web site and were due by October 7.

Zone Meeting Schedule

Several sessions were live streamed via Zoom, as indicated. Links to the streaming sessions were sent to chapter officers and advisors via email and posted to our Discord server prior to the meeting.

Friday, October 20, 2023

2:15-2:45 pm:   SPS Registration [Fenn Tower (FT) Atrium]

2:45-3:00 pm:  Welcome from Dean A. Kersten (together with EGLS)  [FT 303]

3:00-3:50 pm:  SPS Zone 7 Meeting Kick-off [FT 102]  (live streamed via Zoom)

This event was a low-key opportunity for students to introduce themselves, meet fellow students from across the zone, and find out more about the Society of Physics Students. The event was hosted by Associate Zone Councilor Jacob Callebs, Zone Councilor Ron Kumon, and SPS President and CSU SPS Chapter Advisor Kiril Streletzky. Slides from the presentation have been posted along with a video recording on the SPS Zone 7 YouTube channel. 

4:00-4:45 pm:  EGLS Invited Speaker [FT 303]

Dr. Divita Mather from the Department of Chemistry at Case Western Reserve University presented on "Synthetic DNA nanostructures as platforms for precise nanoparticle organization."  

4:45-5:00 pm:  Coffee Break

5:00-5:30 pm:   Introduction to SPS Programs [FT 303]  (live streamed via Zoom)

Associate Zone Councilor Jacob Callebs, Zone Councilor Ron Kumon, and SPS President and CSU SPS Chapter Advisor Kiril Streletzky provided an overview of SPS programs and activities, including scholarship and other grant opportunities.  Slides from the presentation have been posted along with a video recording on the SPS Zone 7 YouTube channel.

5:30-6:30 pm:   EGLS Poster Session [FT 303 / Atrium]

6:30-8:00 pm: EGLS Banquet [FT Ballroom]

A limited number of banquet tickets were available on a first-come, first-served basis to undergraduate students who registered for the SPS zone meeting. (Tickets were provided by the local host chapter at the meeting venue.)

8:00-8:45 pm:  EGLS After Dinner Speaker [FT Ballroom]

Dr. Graham Dixon from the School of Communication at Ohio State University presented on "Communicating Science in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities."

9:00-10:00 pm:  SPS Game Night and Social Activities [SI 147]

SPS Zone 7 and the CSU SPS chapter sponsored a fun game night including snacks!

Saturday, October 21, 2023

7:45-8:15 am:  Registration and Continental Breakfast [Science and Research Center (SR) Atrium]

8:15-9:00 am:  SPS Workshop [SR 152] (live streamed via Zoom)

Dr. Kiril Streletzky from Cleveland State University presented on "How to REU" and provided insights on how to get a paid internships via the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs around the country.  Slides from the presentation have been posted along with a video recording to the SPS Zone 7 YouTube channel.

9:00-9:15 am:  Coffee Break [SR Atrium]

9:15 am-10:00 am:  Physics & Astronomy Jeopardy [SR 152]

Teams were able to test their physics and astronomy knowledge in a fun and friendly Jeopardy-style session sponsored by the CSU SPS chapter. 

10:00 am-11:00 am:  SPS Poster Session and Lunch Social [SR Atrium]

Students had the opportunity to present their posters to other students and have lunch. This session was sponsored by SPS Zone 7 and the CSU SPS chapter.

11:00 am-11:45 am: EGLS Session Invited Speaker [SR 151]

Dr. Lisa Felter from Newry Corp presented on "From Physics to Consulting: Life After the Lab".  This presentation was co-sponsored by SPS Zone 7.

11:45 am-12:00 pm: EGLS Chair's Closing Remarks and Student Prize Announcement [SR 151]

12:00 pm-1:30 pm: CSU Physics Department Tour [Various Labs]

Participants had guided tours of labs in the CSU Physics Department.

We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting!

Over 52 students from at least 11 chapters across the zone attended the meeting, making it our most successful zone meeting in recent years.  Chapters in attendance included Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, College of Wooster, Kent State University, Kettering University, Lawrence Technological University, Marietta College, Ohio University, Ohio State University, Wayne State University, and Youngstown State University. A report on the meeting, including photos from the event, has been posted.  

Check back on the SPS Zone 7 web site for announcements about future zone meetings.