Welcome

Welcome Society of Physics Students chapters! The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign chapter is excited to see you February 23-24th. The program for the meeting can be found here. 

A zone meeting is a mini-conference where SPS members from UIUC and other institutions can get together, share research, and network, and we are excited to be hosting it this year! In addition to showcasing student research, we have many exciting activities and discussions planned, including workshops about grad school and physics in the industry. Professor Anthony Leggett, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in physics, will also give a research talk.

For information about the UIUC SPS chapter, please visit our website: https://wiki.illinois.edu//wiki/display/physoc/Home

For your information:
  • Poster printing can be done on campus! There is a nearby FedEx on Green St. in Champaign. Printing times are usually ~24 hours, so if you do not want to travel with your poster, you can submit your document on their website beforehand and pick up on Friday/Saturday. Printing Information

 

 

Contact UIUC SPS at sps.at.illinois@gmail.com

Apply for presenting research during the Zone Meeting

We ask that all SPS members apply individually, whether you are from a regional SPS chapter or the UIUC chapter. The deadline to submit your registration for $15 is February 12th! After the 12th, the registration fee increases to $25. Please have all research presentation information submitted by February 21st. 

Please register for the zone meeting here. Make sure to confirm your registration by paying the fee. Only after registration fee is paid can you submit your research presentation information.

Once registered, if you are a member of a regional SPS chapter, follow this link to submit presentation information: link

Once registered, if you are a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, follow this link to submit presentation information : link

Schedule of Events

Friday     

February 23,  2018

Check In                         3:00 – 5:30 pm,   Loomis Lobby

Members of regional chapters arrive on campus and make their way to Loomis Laboratory of Physics.  Both participating regional and local (UIUC chapter) SPS members sign in to the conference and receive welcome informational packets.

Lab Tours                              3:00 – 5:30 pm, Loomis and ESB

Students participating in the conference have the opportunity to tour several faculty labs during this time. Schedule of lab tours

Commencement                5:30 – 6:00 pm, Loomis 151

Zone meeting begins with a brief welcome from UIUC physics faculty and department heads. The UIUC SPS officers will give an overview of  our unique chapter activities and the activities for the following day.

 

Dinner                                     6:00 – 7:00 pm, Loomis 204

This time is for socializing over delicious pizza from Monicals – a central Illinois specialty! Faculty and students are invited. LN2 ice cream will be served.

Ice Breker                               7:00 – 9:30 pm, Loomis 204

Lost at Sea Challenge! Fermi Challenge Problems! Candy, snacks, and prizes will be provided.

 

Saturday    

February 24,  2018

Breakfast                              8 – 9 am,   Loomis Lobby

Members who arrived late are welcome to check in. Breakfast will be served before the day’s proceedings. Students participating in poster presentations later in the day may hang up posters on boards in the lobby (tacks will be provided).

 

Grad School Workshop     9 – 11 am, Loomis 151

We are joined by Lance Cooper, head of the graduate programs at UIUC, who will be giving a wonderfully informative presentation on grad school applications and expectations. We will also feature a panel of UIUC physics grad students to participate in a crowd-led Q&A session.

 

Faculty Speaker: Anthony Leggett                11 – 12 pm , Loomis 151

Professor Leggett is a 2003 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. We are excited to have him as our faculty speaker, where he will be discussing his past and current research in the field of low-temperature physics.

 

Lunch                                    12 – 1:45 pm, Champaign-Urbana restaurants 

Lunch is not provided. Students are encouraged to explore the local dining options CU has to offer.

 

Student Talks     1:45 – 3:00 pm,  Loomis 151

Students will regroup in Loomis and present exciting physics research in the form of 15-20 minute talks.

 

Career Discussion             3:00 – 4:30 pm, Loomis 151

We will be discussing the career options available to physics graduates, including advice for LinkedIn profiles and creating a competitive resume.

 

Break                                     4:30 – 5:00 pm

 

Student Talks         5:00 – 6:00, Loomis 151

Second half of student talks.

 

Poster Presentations                           6 – 7 pm,  Hallway outside Loomis 144

Students will present research posters.

 

Dinner           7:15 – 8:15 pm,  Loomis 204

Dinner catered by Noodles & Company.

 

Meeting Conclusion                                   8:30 Loomis 204

UIUC SPS officers give closing remarks and wish visiting SPS members safe travels!

Of course, things are bound to get off schedule, so this is a rough outline for the meeting’s proceedings. Things will change depending on the actual length of presentations and meals.

Here’s to a successful Zone 8 Meeting at UIUC. Hope to see you there!