This is a listing of news and opportunities of potential interest to Physics majors. The items are listed in the reverse order that Prof. Hershfield received them with the newest items appearing on top. If you have an event that you would like included here, please e-mail Prof. Hershfield (selman@ufl.edu).
Spring Data Science and Informatics Symposium - This will take place on Saturday, March 21 from 9:30am - 2:00pm in Emerson Alumni Hall. To register and get more information go to http://www.dsiufl.org/symposium.
Help! I'm Graduating - This is an initiative that seeks to support UF students as they plan for their next step after graduation, whether that is securing a full-time job or planning out what their life will look like prior to graduate/professional school applications. You can apply and learn more here.
International Opportunities for STEM Majors - In an effort to promote more STEM students going abroad, the Center for European Studies, Beyond 120, and the Career Connections Center is facilitating a workshop on Wed. Feb. 12 at 4pm in the Career Connections Center, Inspiration Room, Reitz Union. They will present several options for a STEM major to go abroad, either while still enrolled or after graduation. The session will also provide students an opportunity to ask questions to other students that have successfully found research experiences abroad and alumni that have successfully found STEM-oriented work abroad.
CLAS Beyond120 Scholarships - Beyond120 is excited to announce a
round of scholarships to help students in the CLAS afford transformative, experiential
learning and overseas study opportunities. Twelve students will be selected to
receive $2,000 each to offset costs associated with internships,
faculty-supported research, fieldwork, service-learning, or
CLAS-sponsored summer study abroad programs.
The application window for the $2,000 Beyond120 Scholarships and
Beyond120 International Scholarships closes
Monday, February 17, 2020.
Additionally, the Brian and Kate Harfe International Exchange Award is accepting
applications to support students participating in one of the Beyond120 Exchange Programs
in Fall 2020 or the 2020-21 academic year. The typical award amount is $400.
The application deadline for this award is Sunday, March 15, 2020. Go to
https://www.advising.ufl.edu/beyond120/scholarships/ to apply.
Contact scholarships@advising.ufl.edu with questions.
Summer C Study Abroad UF in Pavia, Italy. Complete PHY2049/L and an elective (EGN 4932 - Engineering Art: The Italian Perspective) during this 8-week summer program. Info session on Tuesday, Feb 4th at 3pm (https://www.eng.ufl.edu/students/events/uf-in-pavia-engineering-and-arts-in-italy-info-session-2/). Application deadline is Feb 15th. Program details found here(https://www.eng.ufl.edu/students/students/international/study-abroad/summer/uf-in-pavia-engineering-and-arts-in-italy/) .
Homeland Security Professional Opportunities - The US department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a summer research program. Applications are submitted online and the deadline is March 2, 2020.
UF Data Science Institute - The Data Science and Informatics Student Organization host technical workshops, speaker sessions, discussion groups and other activities focused on data science. You are invited to their upcoming programming workshops and meetings:
Apply to Graduate - Every student who plans to graduate this term, must complete a degree application at https://one.uf.edu/degreeapp/ . Students cannot graduate without completing this application. The deadline for all degree applications is January 31st.
Society of Physics Students Meeting - The first general body meeting of the semester is on Wednesday 1/15 @6:30 in room NPB-2205. The agenda includes n introduction to the organization, getting to know the officers, as well as going over the tentative schedule of events we have lined up for the semester.
The first Physics GRE study session of the spring 2020 semester will be on Thursday, January 16 in NPB 2165 at 6:00pm.
PK Yonge secondary school positions - This school, which is associated with UF has several positions available for the coming academic year.
McNair Scholars Program - Applications are due on February 10. Applicants must be from an underrepresented minority in graduate education and/or a first generation college student from a low income background. Students going in to their junior or senior years are accepted. They should also intend to pursue a PhD program after graduation. Interested students may wish to contact Rakin Baten (rakinb@ufl.edu) who received one of these scholarships. http://mcnair.aa.ufl.edu/application
Project Resume Career Showcase - Wednesday, January 15 - Friday, January 17, 2020, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Career Connections Center. Do you still need your Resume reviewed for a Career Fair, internship/job applications, or an Employer information session? Take advantage of our ‘no appointment needed’ policy with our Express Drop In service. Career planners can help you prepare for Showcase with resume reviews.
UF Career Showcase, Technical Day - January 22nd 9:00AM - 3:00PM, O’Connell Center, https://career.ufl.edu/students/events-and-programs/career-showcase/.
Career Showcase Info Session: Raytheon - January 22nd 5-6PM in the Career Connections Center innovation room. (business professional clothing highly encouraged)
Career Showcase Info Session: Manhattan Associates Inc – Information Session - January 22nd 6:30-8:30PM in the Career Connections Center inspiration room. They hire for software consulting. (business professional clothing highly encouraged)
Career Showcase Info Session: Edward Lifesciences - There are potential opportunities for students interested in medical physics. January 22nd 6-7:30PM in the Career Connections Center exploration room. (business professional clothing highly encouraged)
Study Abroad Spring Fair - January 29th, 10AM-3PM, Reitz North Lawn
Physics Study Abroad Information Session - February 11th, 2020: NPB 2165, 4:15pm - 5:15pm. Discover resources to identify study abroad opportunities for summer and academic year travel while completing your physics degree.
Physics Career Kickstarter Event - February 20th, 2020: NPB 2205, 4:30pm - 7pm. Join physics majors to identify career opportunities available to those graduating with a physics degree. Register your RSVP here: https://bit.ly/35nmUam .
The Institute for Broadening Participation - has a listing of over 650 Summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) and paid internships.
Plasma and Fusion Course Spring 2020 - This is a new course on plasma physics with application to fusion science. You can find the syllabus here. The instructor is Prof. Chris McDevitt (cmcdevitt@ufl.edu). Nuclear engineering has reached out to the Physics department for potential students in this class.
The Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST) - offers a summer undergraduate student program for the fields of of physics, mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, material science, or chemistry worldwide. MCQST covers the full cost of accommodation, public transport within Munich and part of the travel cost. Application Deadline: 1 March 2020. For more information on the program and how to apply see: https://www.mcqst.de/support/summer-program/.
Citi Early ID Leadership Program - The goal of this virtual program is to provide a pipeline for diverse sophomores to be competitive for future Citi opportunities, specifically within their Analyst positions. There are several tracks available related to diversity: Pride, Women, Veterans, and different ethnically diverse groups. Apply here by Dec. 13.
Summer Internships/Research Experiences Application Deadlines Approaching - Over the winter break, it will be wise to explore the opportunities for summer enrichment for undergraduate physics majors and create a list of experiences you identify as furthering your career. Whether it is a REU program, internship in the public/private sector, internship at a national lab, or an opportunity near your hometown, these “real world” experiences seek to provide additional value to your UF degree. You can start by exploring the growing listing of summer opportunities on the department website http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~sweatherford/SummerUndergradResearch.html and the UF Career Connections database. For private sector internships, it may be helpful to gather leads by identifying which entities employ physics bachelors (there are many, https://www.aip.org/statistics/whos-hiring-physics-bachelors) and review the identified employer career webpages for postings of internship opportunities. Deadlines for summer opportunities begin shortly after the start of the new year and may extend until late winter.
Physics Career Kickstarter workshop, February 20th, 2020, 4:15-6:15pm, NPB 2205 - Did you know nationally 50% of physics majors enter the workforce upon graduation? Jumpstart thinking about careers to pursue with your bachelors physics degree in this workshop, sponsored by the Careers Connection Center. You will identify the skills which physics majors offer employers, identify which sectors employ physics majors, and formulate an action plan for career readiness upon graduation.
DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship - The deadline for the Dept. of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship applications is Jan. 15, 2020.
CLAS and University Scholars Program - The CLAS Scholars Progam (CSP) and the University Scholars Program (USP) have been announced for the 2020-2021 academic year. These programs are similar in that they pay a stipend ($2000 for CSP and $1750 for USP) to do research with a faculty mentor. The CSP also includes $500 for travel to a conference. Part of the application process includes a description of the proposed research and a recommendation from the research mentor. Because these are competitive programs, I recommend that students apply to both. Application materials are available from the linked web sites above and are due Feb. 3, 2020 to Prof. Hershfield (selman@ufl.edu) .
AmeriCorps student success coaches work with teachers and students to provide individualized academic support. Applications are due of Friday Nov. 15 at citiyear.org.
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Virtual Recruitment Fair from 12-3 p.m. EST Wednesday, November 13, 2019 will showcase more than twenty U.S. Department of Energy sponsored programs. Register at http://bit.ly/32X22q7. If you are unable to attend, the event will remain open until November 17 for you to browse the content (registration required).
Undergraduate Summer Research Listing - Shawn Weatherford is maintaining a listing of undergraduate summer research programs. Please check this regularly for new opportunties as they come in.
The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics - is now accepting applications for the Undergraduate Theoretical Physics Summer Program. Apply at the Perimeter Institutes. The deadline is January 6, 2020.
ORNL Pathways to Computing Internship Program - Summer 2020 - This 10-week summer program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides undergraduate students with research projects in computer science, computational science, and mathematics. Students will learn under the direction of ORNL research staff and will participate on projects in diverse domains including computer science, health data science, and climate science. Selected interns will have access to ORNL's leadership-class facilities, including Summit, the world's most powerful supercomputer.
Master of Science in Management (MSM) Info Session - The University of Floridas Master of Science in Management (MSM) is specifically designed to help NON-BUSINESS majors diversify their skills. MSM students come from a wide variety of undergraduate majors and backgrounds. Join us for an information session to learn about the on-campus UF Master of Science in Management (MSM) options and the admissions process. Wednesday, October 30, 2019, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m., Hough Hall, room 120. Register at http://bit.ly/2VTs2Qu.
DOD Smart Scholarship for Service Program - This program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in STEM disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed by the Department of Defense upon degree completion. The deadline is Dec. 3, 2019. For more information see https://smartscholarshipprod.service-now.com/smart.
Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowships - The deadline for these graduate school fellowships is January 15, 2020. More information can be found at https://www.krellinst.org/csgf/.
Data Science Workshops - The Data Science and Informatics (DSI) organization at UF has the following upcoming workshops and meetings. Contact info@dsiufl.org for more information.
Graduate and Professional Schools Fair - Meet with representatives from graduate and professional programs from all over the country. October 23, 10am-2pm in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom.
Science Communigators - Science Communigators is a new UF club focusing on communicating science. Their first meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 6 pm in the AHA Innovation Co-Lab (third floor of Weimer Hall). Within the Physics department, contact Dr. McGill for more information.
Data Science Career Fair - The Data Science and Informatics (DSI) organization at UF promotes education in data science by providing programming resources, workshops, and corporate connections to students. DSI will be hosting a data science career fair to connect students with employers for both internships and full time positions. Some of the attending companies include KPMG, Disney, and Nielsen. The event will take place on September 24th from 11AM till 3PM at the UF Informatics Institute outside Marston Science Library. The first 50 guests receive t-shirts.
Posters on the Hill 2020 - Each spring, the Council on Undegraduate Research hosts an annual undergraduate poster session on Capitol Hill. At this even member of Congress and their staff members learn about the importance of undergraduate research through talking directly with student researchers. Apply through the Council on Undergraduate Research by November 5.
Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics - The CUWiP conferences occur at 13 sites around the country from Jan. 17-21, 2020. There is one at USF in Tampa. The application deadline is Oct. 4.
DoD Smart Scholarship - The Department of Defense (DoD) SMART Scholarship Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in STEM disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed by the Department of Defense upon degree completion. The application deadline is Dec. 3.
Pathways To Science Opportunity Listing - The Pathways to Science website has a large (36) listing of scholarships and other awards. Some of these have a specific target group, but others are quite general.
Intel Corporation: Chemistry and Physics Student Meetup - Come learn about manufacturing and the immediate opportunities available at Intel. This specific event is targeted for Chemistry and Physics students at all levels (BS, MS, PhD) but other interested majors are welcomed as well. September 23rd from 1-3PM in the Career Connections Center. Students can RSVP on Gator Careerlink although it is not required. According to the Career Connections Center other employers to to highly consider as a Physics major:
Trans-Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program (TASSEP) This is a consortium of universities in Europe, Canada, and the United States (see http://www.tassep.upmc.fr/en/index.html) ). UF students have the opportunity to study at one of 16 universities in nine different countries (France, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK), all while paying UF tuition and getting credit in UF coursework. These are full semester or academic year exchanges, and students have the option to extend their experience by carrying out a research project during the summer. While the focus of the exchange is on science coursework, they encourage students to complement their studies by taking language and/or other cultural courses to highlight their experience in Europe. Email TASSEP@chem.ufl.edu if they have any questions about the program. They will be tabling at the UF Study Abroad Fair on September 25, 2019.
Goldwater Scholarship - This prestigious scholarship is for present sophomores and juniors. Information about the scholarship may be found on their website; however, the application is handled through UF because only a limited number of students can apply from UF. There was a period when of the limited number of applicants, UF Physics received one almost every year. The internal UF deadline is November 18, and Kelly Medley is the contact person (kmedley@honors.ufl.edu).
Churchill Scholarship - This provides funding for a masters degree at Cambridge University, UK in a STEM field. Information about the program is available from their website. The deadline for this year is October, 4.
CLAS Exchange Programs - Our college has set up a number of exchange problems with universities in other countries. The UF student studies in a foreign country and students from that country come to UF. This is attractive to Physics majors because (i) you pay UF tuition including Bright Futures to study in a foreign country and (ii) you can take Physics classes to stay on track. You can study abroad for either one or two semesters. Apparently science students are undersubscribed in study abroad programs so your chance of success is higher. In the Physics department Shawn Weatherford (sweatherford@ufl.edu) has created a set of equivalencies for these exchange programs. See CLAS Exchange Programs for more information, and more programs may be found on the Beyond 120 website. Deadlines are typically mid-October.
Study Abroad Fair - The Study Abroad Fair is Wednesday, September 25th from 10am-3pm on the Reitz Union Lawn. Representatives from many different study abroad programs will be there.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship - The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship funds the graduate student to do research. It will make it easy to find an advisor in graduate school because you come with your own funding. It is also recognized as a prestigious award. We have averaged approximately 1 of these awards for our students per year, but I would like to see that number increase. This application requires both a research proposal and a broader impacts part of the proposal so it quite a bit of work; however, once you do this the actual graduate school applications will be easy. Applications are due Oct. 21 - Oct. 25 depending on the discipline.
Hertz Foundation Fellowship - This is one of the most competitive fellowship opportunities for graduate school. Several years ago we had a student reach the interview stage, and Prof. Stanton received one of these awards in graduate school. Applications are due Oct. 23.
Upcoming SPS Meetings - The Society of Physics students has the following meetings planned (6:15pm in NPB 2205):
AAPT Meeting in Orlando - The national American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPTE) meeting is in Orlando from January 18-21, 2020. SPS has a poster session that is traditionally occurs on Saturday evening from 8pm-10pm. Abstracts are due on September 18 and may be sponsored by any active AAPT member. If you would like to present a poster please speak with your research mentor. Prof. Weatherford (sweatherford@ufl.edu) is an AAPT member who is willing to sponsor abstract with mentor approval. Students with active memberships with the SPS national organization ($24 dues) are eligible to apply for travel funding (limited awards, $200) at https://www.spsnational.org/awards/travel. Additionally, students in the honors program are eligible for travel support from the Wentworth Travel Scholarship (limited awards, up to $500) http://www.honors.ufl.edu/current/internal-scholarships/.
Career Pop-up in SPS Lounge - As part of the run up to the Fall Career Showcase on September 24 and 25, the Physics department will be hosting two drop in sessions in the SPS Lounge (NPB 2229):
Apply to Graduate - If you intend to graduate at the end of the Fall semester, you must apply to graduate through One UF by September 13. A graduation checklist is located at https://commencement.ufl.edu/checklist and additional graduation FAQ's may be found at https://www.advising.ufl.edu/academicinfo/graduation/.
NC State Industrial and Systems Engineering - NC State is actively recruiting Physics majors to its Industrial and Systems Engineering program. Specifically, they are hosting a Graduate Visitation event in the Fall of 2019. It is an all expenses paid event for students who are considering graduate school and Industrial and Systems Engineering, even if they are a few years from graduation, or are unsure if graduate school is for them. The event website is https://www.ise.ncsu.edu/fall-2019-student-recruitment-event/.
Latin American - Carribbean Scholarship - If you are a citizen of a Latin American or Carribbean country or Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands, you may be eligible for this scholarship. Please contact Prof. Hershfield for more information and see LAC.
UF Intersections Scholars: The UF Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere has created this new program that brings students and faculty together across disciplines to address grand-challenge questions that face our world now an in the future. The grand challenge question closest to Physics is How do technologies influence our lives, then and now?. This would include the effects of artificial intelligence. To become an Intersections Scholar you must register, complete 3 courses offered by 3 different departments from your grand-challenge course cluster, and participate in the Intersections Symposium. More informaiton is available at https://intersections.humanities.ufl.edu/.
Humanities Engagement Scholars: This program also sponsored by the UF Center for the Humanties and the Public Sphere is aimed to recognize those students who take humanities courses and attend humanities events. For specific requirements visit https://humanities.ufl.edu/humanities-engagement-scholar/ . There will be a kick-off event with information about this program this coming Thursday, September 5 at 3 p.m. in 200 Walker Hall. Students completing all the requirements for this program will be designated as HES (Humanties Engagement Scholars) at graduation.
CLAS Career Corner - This is the newsletter from Jackie Pedota detailing events and activities before the Fall Career Showcase (Sept. 24 for non-technical careers and Sept. 25 for technical careers). Besides preparation for Showcase other activities are listed such as:
Part-time Job Fair: September 4th, 10-2PM, Reitz Union North Lawn
Networking with Nonprofits: August 27, 11AM-1PM, Reitz Union 2355. This includes volunteering for mentoring and tutoring at the K-12 level. It is sponsored by the UF Center for Leadership and Service, which also sponsors Florida Alternative Breaks (FAB) service trips.
CCMS Undergraduate Fellowships: The Center for Condensed Matter Science is offering fellowships to undergraduate students who are presently enrolled at UF and are working with a member of the CCMS on a project related to the research focus of the Center. The funds may be used to support student research activity through hourly pay, laboratory supplies, professional travel, or any other appropriate research purpose. The fellowship amount is $1000 per semester, up to a combined limit of $2000 for the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters. CCMS faculty members may nominate students for the fellowship by submitting: a letter of nomination, a one page research plan written by the student, and a brief letter of interest from the student, stating the student's GPA and major, plus any other relevant information. These are due as a single pdf e-mailed to Jim Folks (jjfolks@ufl.edu) and Prof. Zhang (xgz@ufl.edu) by 5pm on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.
This page is maintained by Selman Hershfield (selman@ufl.edu). Last updated Sept. 18, 2019.