PghCUWiP 2020 Agenda

The agenda below can be downloaded into most calendar/planner apps.

Click on any event to see location and more info.  All times are Eastern Standard.

Workshop descriptions can be found further down this page. Workshop locations and leaders can be found here.

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Workshops

Below are brief descriptions of the workshops/panels being offered during Workshop Parallel Sessions.  Note that not all workshops are offered in each session (see agenda above).

Applying to Graduate School (Session II  – Dowd Room / Session III – McKenna Room)

  • A panel of faculty and grad students answer questions about the application process and what applicants should look for in a school.

Careers Beyond Academia (Sessions II and III – McConomy Auditorium)

  • A panel of non-academics discussing opportunities, available careers, initiatives and work environments within industry and at national labs.

Choosing a Research Advisor (Session I – Room 232, Cathedral of Learning)

  • A panel discussion about day-to-day experiences as a research student (graduate or undergraduate) and how to choose the right advisor for your learning/working style and physics interests.

Communicating with a Non-physics Audience (Session II – Peter Room)

  • A panel of authors and public speakers answer questions discuss and answer questions about engaging with a general audience.

Cultivating a Growth Mindset (Session II – Connan Room)

  • A workshop discussion of research studies that show how different types of social psychological interventions (e.g., social belonging and growth mindset) have improved the motivation and learning outcomes of all students, especially women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields.

Getting Involved in Research (Session I – Room 332, Cathedral of Learning / Session III – Wright Room)

  • Discussion of opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in research at their home institution or through research internships at laboratories or other institutions.

LGBTQ+ Roundtable (Session III – Danforth Conference Room)

  • Panel including Mairead Heiger and Danielle Leonard
  • Discussions about LGBTQ+ issues in physics, available resources, and opportunities/ideas for change.

Physics Education (Session III – Connan Room)

  • A panel discussing the opportunities and advantages of a career in physics education; will discuss traditional certification/secondary education tracks and research careers in physics education.

Transitioning to a Four-year Physics Program (Session III – Pake Room)

  • Panel discussion including a discussion of physics as a major and a career, with emphasis on advice for transitioning from a 2- to 4-year program.

Underrepresented Minorities Roundtable (Session II – Danforth Conference Room)

  • Discussions about issues surrounding members of underrepresented minority groups in physics, available resources, and opportunities/ideas for change.

Work/Life Balance — Family (Session I  – G 24, Cathedral of Learning / Session II – McKenna Room)

  • Panel discussion about balancing a physics career with familial needs (becoming a parent, caring for relatives).

Work/Life Balance — Personal Interests (Session I  – Room G 8, Cathedral of Learning / Session II – Wright Room)

  • Panel discussion about balancing a physics career with hobbies, interests, personal needs, and wellness.

Friday Lab Tours

Information and directions will be available at Alumni Hall on arrival at the conference.

A variety of physics demos, as well as informal discussions on cosmology, condensed-matter theory, and nuclear experiment, will be available at Alumni Hall throughout the afternoon.

Lab Tour A (Astronomy and Cosmology, High-Energy Physics, and Physics Education at the University of Pittsburgh)

  • Iteration 1 departs Alumni Hall at 1:55 and returns at 3:00
  • Iteration 2 departs Alumni Hall at 3:40 and returns at 4:45

Lab Tour B (Quantum Theory, Condensed Matter, Quantum Computing, and Biophysics at the University of Pittsburgh)

  • Iteration 1 departs Alumni Hall at 2:15 and returns at 4:00
  • Iteration 2 departs Alumni Hall at 3:30 and returns at 4:55

Lab Tour C (Biophysics and Quantum Electronics at Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Iteration 1 departs Alumni Hall at 1:45 and returns at 3:30
  • Iteration 2 departs Alumni Hall at 3:10 and returns at 4:55

Lab Tour D (High-Energy, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science at Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Iteration 1 departs Alumni Hall at 2:00 and returns at 3:30
  • Iteration 2 departs Alumni Hall at 3:05 and returns at 4:35

Detailed lab tour schedule can be found here: LabTours-CUWiP
Descriptions of University of Pittsburgh labs on the tour can be found here: LabDescriptions_Pitt
Descriptions of Carnegie Mellon University labs on the tour can be found here: LabDescriptions_CMU

After dinner, bus tours of the Allegheny Observatory will be available. Buses will leave from the Wyndham at 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 pm — please sign up in advance at the conference registration desk in Alumni Hall. The Allegheny Observatory has been an active site of astronomical research since 1867. Dress warmly as the Observatory is not heated. See the Observatory website for more information about the building, telescopes, and history.