SPS Zone Meeting
April 4, 2025 to April 5, 2025
University of Southern California - Los Angeles, CA
Meeting host: By:Dwaipayan Chanda
SPS Chapter:
SPS Zone 18 Meeting 2025 Report
University of Southern California
Friday & Saturday, April 4-5, 2025
Attendees
Total number of attendees: 69
Chapters Represented:
- University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of California, Los Angeles (SPS)
- University of California, Los Angeles (Sigma Pi Sigma)
- California State University, San Marcos
- Santa Barbara City College
- Cal Poly Pomona
- Santa Clara University
- University of California, Irvine
- California State University, Northridge
- California State University, Fullerton
- University of San Diego
Agenda of the Meeting
Friday
- Arrival and Introductions
- "Physics of Extrasolar Planets and their Atmospheres", Shreyas Vissapragada
- Dinner and Trivia Night
Saturday
- Breakfast and Introductions
- "Opportunities in SPS", Chad Kishimoto
- Research Lab Tours
- "Topological Phenomena", Stephen Haas
- Lunch
- Poster Session
- WiP panel and bonding workshop
- Group photo
- Grad student panel
Suggestions for planning the next zone meeting:
- Begin planning as early as possible, starting with identifying funding sources and beginning to secure them.
- Lots of funding opportunities available at our institution (Graduate Student Government, Undergraduate Student Government) have long application timelines (>8 weeks); we recommend starting as early as possible to secure funding.
- Fundraise with your SPS chapter within your physics/astronomy department! It also allows faculty and department members to learn about the event and get them on board to participate.
- Place even more emphasis (and time) on bonding events—people really enjoyed them and it helped form a lot of connections.
- Secure keynote speakers early (a few months)
- Design a website for the event! We did this and it helped us and attendees keep track of the planned agenda much better.
Zone 18 Meeting Recap
Building Communities in Physics in the Heart of Los Angeles
Edited by Chad Kishimoto, Zone 18 Councillor, with contributions from attendees to the SPS Zone 18 Meeting
SPS members from across Zone 18 gathered at the University of Southern California (USC) on April 4th and 5th to celebrate our shared love for physics and astronomy. Over a toasty Southern California spring weekend, the active and engaged SPS chapter at USC invited us to discuss our science, to network and make connections with our fellow enthusiasts of physics and astronomy, and to develop the strength of our community in the face of the difficulties we all face.
Many of us braved the infamous Los Angeles traffic to enjoy the festivities of the first day. After a check-in at the bustling USC Village and a charming tour of the campus, we gathered at the USC campus center to learn about exoplanet research. Dr. Shreyas Vissapragada from the nearby Carnegie Observatories regaled us with a discussion on his work related to studying these worlds orbiting other stars in our galaxy. After an enlightening and enthusiastic discussion, we shared dinner and great conversation. The evening concluded with a rousing round of physics trivia.
Saturday morning began with breakfast and an opportunity to mingle as attendees drove in from the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. We heard from the USC SPS chapter advisor, Dr. Scott Macdonald, about the goings on at USC. Then, Dr. Chad Kishimoto, our Zone Councilor from the SPS National Council, shared with us a lot of great information from SPS National, and were intrigued by these opportunities, especially the upcoming Physics & Astronomy Congress in Denver this October.
Lab tours were a big hit! We visited USC labs that were actively researching ultrafast quantum opto-spintronics, liquid propulsion systems, and superconducting quantum computing. "I have been super interested in quantum computing," shared Ilaana Khan from UCLA's SPS chapter, and "I was finally able to see a quantum computer with my own eyes!" It was really exciting to see the labs where exciting research was ongoing.
We returned to engage in a talk from Dr. Stephen Haas, the chair of the physics department at USC, who shared his insights on getting involved in physics and great physics events at USC and in Los Angeles. He talked about his theoretical research about topological phenomena in condensed matter physics. It was a great opportunity to have a down-to-earth discussion with an expert in his field about these materials.
After lunch, there was a research poster session where members of the USC, UCLA, and UC Irvine SPS chapters shared their research. We shuttled between posters asking our peers about their research, how they got into their research, and learned more about fields of physics and astronomy that we hadn't even known about before. "I felt empowered to see so many of my peers doing great research," shared Scarlett Andersen, from the Cal State Northridge SPS chapter.
We then broke out into two breakout groups. Half of us chatted with a panel organized by the Women in Physics group at USC. In this session we were able to interact with a panel of women physicists in various stages of their physics careers–from undergraduate to professor–and ask our questions and they helped to advise us from their range of lived experiences. The other half engaged in a fun bonding session, playing physics-themed “Headbands” in groups and getting to know one another. After we switched and were able to participate in both, the meeting ended with a panel of graduate students who shared information about the process of applying to grad school and their many experiences along the way.
It was great to meet other young physicists from the zone, sharing with each other how we engage in SPS. "I valued connections I made across campuses," shared Annika Feng from UCLA SPS, "and I appreciated the opportunities to network with undergraduates across California." Physics and astronomy intrigues us and can be so rewarding, but our studies can have a way of isolating us, lost amidst the theory. "I felt a sense of community among a bunch of other physics nerds who just want to learn more," said Ilaana Khan. "I feel much less alone as a physics major knowing that there are so many others in LA who share this passion with me."
"Planning and hosting [this event] taught me that studying physics is about more than just the physics," reflected Elizabeth Kunz, a member of the USC planning committee. "Getting to see everyone come together to learn, network, and just have a good weekend made me so proud to be a part of his amazing community!" We departed with a renewed commitment to continue the good work of the Society of Physics Students and to meet again in Denver at the Physics & Astronomy Congress, or at least when the next Zone 18 meeting convenes. Fight on.
