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Student Employment and Involvement

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 develops great relationships with your professors and fellow students. Check out the many opportunities to get involved within our department and across campus. For employment opportunities click here or scroll down.

Student Clubs and Organizations

Teaching Assistants (TA)
-If you are already a TA this semester, please fill out the Google form below to let us know if you are planning on being a TA next semester and what your schedule will be. -To access this form click below, you must be signed into your gcloud account uNID@gcloud.utah.edu. - Flexible time commitment (10-19 hrs per week) - Get paid – $15/hr! If you have not been a TA before but would like to apply, please reach out to Austin King 2022-23 Mentor TA (austin.king@utah.edu) or Dr. Ben Bromley (bromley@physics.utah.edu) for more info!
Apply today!
AstronomUrs Outreach Assistants
-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. If any questions, please reach out to Paul Ricketts (observatory@physics.utah.edu)
PANDA Network Mentors
-Mentor and planning committee positions available for Spring 2023 -Welcome incoming students to the department and our community -Lead discussions about strategies for maximizing college experience -Network with peers and professors -Flexible time commitment (~2 hr/week + early semester training) Get paid – $15/hr! Any questions? Contact Professor Gail Zasowski (gail.zasowski@gmail.com), Ben Searle (ben.searle@utah.edu) or Marcus Tanner (u1327510@umail.utah.edu)
Learning Assistant Program
-Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduates who facilitate small-group interaction in our large-enrollment courses. -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. -Flexible time commitment (5-10 hours per week) Get paid – $13/hr! -LA Application Materials: To access the LA application, please click the link below. Any questions? Please reach out to la@csme.utah.edu, Education Director Karie (ChristopherChristopher@utah.edu) or Program Manager Kendall Van Horssen (Kendall.VanHorssen@utah.edu)
Apply Here!
Undergraduate Student Advisory Committee (USAC)
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!

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.