The University of Florida chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) has won an Outstanding Chapter Award from the SPS National Office. This is the fourth time the chapter has been recognized for its excellence as a top-tier student-led physical sciences organization, a designation given to fewer than 15 percent of all SPS chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and internationally.
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional association designed for students and membership is open to anyone interested in physics and related fields. SPS operates within the American Institute of Physics (AIP), an umbrella organization for professional physical science societies.
The SPS chapter at University of Florida is advised by Dr. Imre Bartos and is led by student officers. The 2019-20 officers are:
– Sophia Bergmann , Physics and Aerospace Engineering , ‘20
– Joshua Black, Physics and Math, ‘20
– Urja Shah, Physics and Astrophysics, ‘21
– Jonathan Gant, Physics, ‘21
“It’s absolutely amazing how much this organization grows each year! I’ve been a part of it for three years now and we are all very proud of achieving this high stature that commends the STEM community at the University of Florida and furthermore we are looking forward to next year and all the exciting things we have planned.” said Urja Shah, the present ambassador and historian of the organization.
SPS chapters are evaluated on their level of interaction with the campus community, the professional physics community, the public, and with SPS national programs. The Outstanding Chapter Award recognizes high levels of outreach as well as unique approaches to fulfilling the mission of SPS to “help students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community.”
The University of Florida SPS chapter has once again excelled in their efforts to conduct various outreach events as well as department hosted events. Their goal to make the physics community at their university accessible and a fun place to learn new things is evident from their tutoring efforts for other peers and by making YouTube videos on interesting subject matter or interviewing faculty members on their research achievements. Hosting the annual United Nations Women in Science week and Yuri’s night has become a yearly success for the students and their faculty members. The Society of Physics Students chapter at UF is truly an influential platform where young creative minds come together to help each other grow as scientists and the next generation science communicators.