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!