Maren Mossman (she/her) is the Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Physics at University of San Diego and the Chair of the Local Organizing Committee of the 2024 USD CUWiP. She earned her PhD from Washington State University in 2019, where she helped plan and host the northwest CUWiP meeting as a postdoc in 2020. Maren is an experimental atomic physicist who studies the behavior of atomic gasses at ultracold temperatures both on the ground at USD and in microgravity onboard the ISS. She believes that bringing enthusiasm for physics and science communication both in the classroom and in the lab is a great way to get students excited about physics. 

Maren is delighted to be hosting CUWiP at USD because this conference is an amazing experience for all women in physics and is a great way for students to start building their physics identities and support networks of women in physics from other institutions. Her first CUWiP in 2012 was an experience she will never forget and wants future students to benefit from the conference as well!

Rae Robertson-Anderson (she/her) currently serves as the Associate Provost for Engaged Scholarship and is a Professor of Physics and Biophysics at University of San Diego. She received her BS in Physics from Georgetown University in 2003, funded by a Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship; and earned her PhD in Physics from University of California, San Diego in 2007, funded by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Following a postdoc in molecular biology at The Scripps Research Institute, funded by an NIH fellowship, Robertson-Anderson joined the faculty at University of San Diego in 2009 with the goal of engaging undergraduates in cutting-edge research and shaping undergraduate physics programs and research at a national level. She has been awarded over $5M in grant funding, including an NSF CAREER Award and a WM Keck Foundation Research Grant, to support her internationally-recognized research aimed at designing and understanding the physics of squishy ‘living’ materials inspired by biology. 

Robertson-Anderson has been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society, was awarded the APS Prize for Faculty Research at an Undergraduate Institution, and received the Research Corporation Cottrell Scholars STAR Award. Robertson-Anderson’s notable national service roles include serving on the Executive Committees for the APS Division of Soft Matter and the Beckman Young Investigator Program.

Ted Dezen (he/his) earned his Ph.D. in physics from UC Santa Barbara and is currently Associate Professor of Physics at University of San Diego. Ted is a theoretical and computational astrophysicist interested in accretion onto compact objects and other high-energy astrophysical phenomena. Ted leverages active engagement pedagogies in classes and believes research mentoring provides students with substantive experiential learning that will prove beneficial regardless of their future aspirations. 

Ted is thrilled to help plan CUWIP because such events are crucial for promoting diversity, inclusion and access in STEM and can be a transformative experience for individual students.

Maya Hendija (she/her) graduated from the University of San Diego in 2023 with a degree in Physics. As the former chapter president of the Society of Physics Students at USD, she organized numerous events and prioritized the mental and physical health of her peers. Maya is a recent recipient of both national and local awards including the SPS 2023 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award recognizing her outstanding student research and USD's Kathryn Regan Service Award for her service to the physics department and University. Post-graduation, Maya began a post-baccalaureate research year in the Anderson Biophysics Lab at USD where she conducts research in autonomous material development with a focus on cytoskeletal restructuring and hydrogels. 

Maya looks forward to contributing to CUWiP by promoting connections, well-being, and learning alongside fellow physics enthusiasts.

Emma Horner (she/her) is a post-Bachelor research assistant at University of San Diego working with Dr. Chad Kishimoto, having graduated in 2023 from USD with a B.S. in Physics and a minor in Mathematics. In her research, Emma performs theoretical and computational astro-particle physics,  with a focus on sterile neutrino dark matter models. Emma is an active member of the physics community at USD and wholeheartedly advocates for the importance of fostering meaningful connections within one's community, particularly in the pursuit of such a challenging discipline as physics.

Emma is thrilled to host CUWiP at USD. She is excited to welcome fellow scientists, foster the growth of their scientific passions and help lead them towards a sense of belonging in the field of physics. She is also eager to establish new connections and explore even more aspects of physics alongside the attendees.

Chad Kishimoto (he/him) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Biophysics at the University of San Diego. After completing his bachelor degree at Caltech, Ph.D. at UC San Diego, and a postdoc at UCLA, he taught physics and astronomy as a "freeway flyer" across many community colleges and universities before finding a permanent role at USD. His research group of undergraduates at USD studies neutrino astrophysics, developing computational models to probe the weak interaction in astrophysical environments. Chad is passionate about supporting student opportunities in and out of the classroom to build community and, in doing so, develop their identities as budding physicists and astronomers. He works on this locally as the advisor to the USD Society of Physics Students chapter and represents the region on the SPS National Council. 

Chad looks forward to hosting CUWiP at USD to engage with future physicists -- a diverse group of students figuring out how they belong in physics and how physics fits in their future.

Ryan McGorty is an associate professor and chair of the Physics and Biophysics Department at USD. He earned his PhD in Physics from Harvard University and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. His research lab studies soft condensed matter (aka, squishy physics) and biophysics using novel microscopy methods that they develop. 

Ryan is excited to welcome students to USD for the 2024 CUWiP and to help organize events for participants to share ideas for making physics more accessible and welcoming and to build their networks of colleagues and mentors.

Liz Mills (she/her) is a full time lecturer at University of San Diego. She earned her BA in chemical physics from Swarthmore College in 2011 and her PhD in physics at UCLA in 2020, where she Co-Chaired CUWiPs' 2017 So-Cal Regional Conference. Liz is an experimental biophysicist who studies physics inside the brain and physics education through undergraduate laboratory and research experiences. 

She is excited to host the 2024 So-Cal site for APS CUWiPs at USD, and looks forward to supporting the next generation of physicists with educational and professional opportunities. In her spare time, Liz enjoys yoga, soccer, and swimming in the pacific ocean.

Sean Mossman (he/him) is an instructor of physics at University of San Diego. He majored in physics and math at Cal State San Bernardino, where he did undergraduate research on trojan comets while working on the early establishment of the Murillo Family Observatory and tutoring students in math and physics. He then went to Washington State University, where he received his PhD studying quantum limits on nonlinear optical materials and completed a postdoc in experimental ultracold atoms studying laser induced potentials and superfluid dynamics. 

Sean is looking forward to hosting CUWiP at USD because he is excited to get students pumped for physics!