Jennifer Ruda

While in college, I served as Vice President and President of my college's SPS Chapter. I interacted with other chapters through events and email. I loved organizing and recruiting students to participate in physics shows. As a senior, I was inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma after conducting research in Astrophysics at Northwestern University.

Now, I teach high school physics and astronomy at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois. I get to tell all my students about SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma. I love sharing with them that the scientific community does not only care about research and good science, but also cares about community and outreach: two qualities I try to cultivate in my physics classes. 

There is a great need for physics teachers that truly know physics. I find teaching to be one of the most rewarding careers and it is a career that has challenged me to deepen my understanding of physics and continue to learn every day. Inspiring future physicists is a privilege and a challenge. Students benefit from teachers who can talk about current research; it helps those students see an actual future in physics. As a woman, I also have the privilege of sharing my own experiences in equity in the physics community. I believe these conversations are crucial to have a young age. It makes the idea of physics as a career less intimidating.