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Department of Physics & Astronomy

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Student Involvement and Employment

Student clubs and organizations are a great way to make friends, build connections on campus, and gain leadership skills outside of the classroom. Working as a teaching or learning assistant builds your academic and learning skills, and developes great relationships with your professors and fellow students. Check out the many opportunities to get involved within our department and across campus.

SPS Bottle Rockets

Society of Physics Students

REU River Trip

REU Summer Students

College of Science Ambassadors

College of Science Ambassadors

 

Student Clubs and Organizations

Meet with fellow students, work on homework and get help, and join activities!

https://discord.gg/rddJsw2

U SPS

Society of Physics Students

Send us a message through Campus Connect or come to our meetings!

Join us this fall for our opening social and elections! More details TBA!

Check out our blog!

Undergraduates

We gather to share ideas, stories, and accomplishments. We aim to form a positive and productive community in the Physics department for students to utilize as a professional resource and a group of friends.

uuwompa@gmail.com

What is USAC?
Our Undergraduate Student Advisory Committee (USAC) advises the Department of
Physics & Astronomy in matters concerning their undergraduate students. We do this
primarily through our participation in the RPT process for the Department of Physics and
Astronomy.

Retention, Promotion and Tenure, or RPT, is the formal process of retaining, promoting or
granting tenure to faculty members. There are many committees involved in this process
and USAC participates by delivering a report on the faculty member up for RPT. Our report
consists of a summary and a recommendation in the case of a strong applicant. We base
our evaluations off of data included in an RPT packet provided by the Department of
Physics and Astronomy, a formal interview of the faculty member, and an interview with
associated personnel.

In addition, we occasionally participate in other activities promoting student involvement
within the Department. Overall, USAC is an amazing way to be a voice for your fellow
Undergraduate students in matters concerning the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
If you are interested, please email physicsusac@gmail.com for more information on how to
join!

Below is a list of our current members and some resources to further your undergraduate
career or get involved with our incredible Department!

Chair: 
Anna Christopherson

Officers: 
Tessa McNamee
Anna Stephens
Grace Bramlage
Chandler Merrill
Daisy Xiong
Marina Gerton

physicsusac@gmail.com 

 AstronomUrs

Wednesday Star Parties are back! Visit the South Physics Observatory page for details and updated info.

Please continue to follow us on Facebook and YouTube for online astronomy content.
 Science in the Parks logo

Science in the Parks

Science in the Parks is a science outreach program for children of all ages in the Salt Lake City (SLC) area. The program will be held over the summer, where science activities will be demonstrated and available for children to observe and interact with. 

 In-STEM
in-STEM provides diverse students a supportive community to foster academic success, professional development, and community outreach. 

STEM Outreach Volunteer Program

The STEM Outreach Volunteer Program organizes and runs STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs in schools in the Salt Lake area. 
 Bennion Community Service Center
Our mission is to inspire and mobilize people to strengthen communities through learning, scholarship, and advocacy. Whether you have a few minutes in between classes, an occasional hour on a Saturday morning, or time to engage every week, there are plenty of ways for you to get involved.

University Student Organizations

 If there is something you enjoy, there is a club for it. Check out Campus Connect to find a group or club that fits your interests!

Undergrad Assistant Opportunities

Teaching Assistants (TA)

Interested in becoming a Teaching Assistant?

Apply today!

If you are interested in being an undergraduate TA for a Physics or Astronomy class you have taken before, please fill out this Google form regarding your interest and availability by Monday July 12th, 2021.

Fall Semester 2021

apply by Monday, July 12th, 2021

Please contact Maeve Haggerty at m.haggerty@utah.edu with any questions.

Learning Assistant Program

Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduates who facilitate small-group interaction in our large-enrollment courses. Questions? Please reach out to la@csme.utah.edu


RESPONSIBILITIES

LAs help transform large-enrollment courses by creating environments in which students can interact with one another, engage in collaborative problem solving, articulate and defend their ideas, and explicitly discuss the nature of science.   

LAs must have room in their schedule to lead their assigned lab sections (at least two), attend the associated class lectures, and enroll in a SCI-5050, (The Science of Learning), course. Additional hours may be spent doing prep work for the lab, holding office hours and attending team meetings with the course instructor.  

 

LA APPLICATION MATERIALS

To access the LA application, please click the link below:

Apply here!

 

Why should I get involved?

  • It helps round out your university experience. You are more than just a scientist- you have interests beyond the classroom. Getting involved helps you explore new things in a unique setting of a university.
  • It looks great on job and graduate school applications. Employers are often looking for more than just technical skills you learn with your degree. They look for communication skills, leadership, and other "soft" skills that come with being involved with an organization.
  • It connects you to faculty, mentors, and people within the department and on campus. Want to make friends in the department? Want an inside scoop on what is happening in the department? Want to get to know faculty better? Join a club or organization. You never know when that connection could lead to letters of recommendation, future internships or jobs, or lifelong friendships down the road.
  • It helps maintain sanity! Find a group of people you connect with to help balance out the workload and stress of school. Clubs and groups give you an outlet to do something outside of your studies.
Last Updated: 7/19/21