The Spring SPS Observer is on its way to you!

The SPS Observer will be coming to your mailbox very soon! The 2024 Spring issue of the magazine gives insight into applying to graduate school, such as demystifying the process, helping you find the right path, and supplying the tools to submit an amazing application. A physical copy of the new issue will be mailed to you and the issue is available online here!

This issue features a wide range of articles, including “How to Thrive in a Summer Program” by Kaitlyn Sheriff, “Combatting Burnout in Physics and Astronomy” by Kiril Streletzky, Stephanie Howell, and Robert Laughlin, as well as “An Empowering and Knotted Journey into Polymer Physics” by Hyo Jung Park. This edition will give you lots of outreach and research ideas to start working on over the summer!

We want to hear from you, take the SPS Burnout Survey!

This survey was designed to gather data surrounding (1) the extent of burnout, (2) the manifestation of burnout, and (3) how burnout affects people from groups historically marginalized in the physics and astronomy community. Informed by the data, we will be identifying ways to combat undergraduate burnout within our community. The survey will likely bring light to issues unique to the discipline and to students and faculty from marginalized groups. We plan to use this information to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as many are under threat across the country.

Please support this effort by taking our survey, and by encouraging the rest of your chapter members to do so.

May 16 is the International Day of Light!

The International Day of Light is celebrated on the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. This day is a call to strengthen scientific cooperation and harness its potential to foster peace and sustainable development. Check out the official website to learn why light matters, and what you can do to get involved!

SPS brings you GradSchoolShopper

SPS offers GradSchoolShopper.com, the only global online graduate program network dedicated exclusively to physics, astronomy, and the physical sciences. If you are looking for your graduate school path, this data is free and for you! Check out these articles full of resources and tips in the 2023 Guide to Grad School.