Dear College Physical Science Students and Professors within 150 miles of Chicago,
I am reaching out to you to tell you about an amazing opportunity for you, your peers, and your department. On October 17, we will be hosting Cosmic Pathways Chicago at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. To register, click here. (Register Today, The deadline is soon) We want you to attend — here is why:
- Learn about internships, careers, and the job market: Going to conferences can be one of the most powerful experiences for a physics student. However, the reality is that most conferences are not for you. Their focus is on graduate students, researchers, and faculty. There may be undergraduate things there, but it’s an extra thing, off to the side. Cosmic Pathways is designed for you.
- Present your research: Cosmic Pathways provides an opportunity for you to present your research as a 10-minute talk with 2 minutes for questions, or as a poster. Submit your abstract here by mid-September. You should also go to other conferences and present. Since this conference is for college students and high school students, it’s a great way to hone your speaking skills and be the center of attention. (Note you have to register and submit your abstract to present.)
- Showcase your Physics Club or your department: We will set up tables for your team. This is a great opportunity to showcase what amazing things your physics club is doing. Since we are also inviting high school students, this will be a great way to recruit for your program, either at the undergraduate or graduate level. If you want a table, please reach out to me at mwright@adelphi.edu.
- Meet a Physics Legend — Dr. Rhett Allain: One of my favorite physicists will be at Cosmic Pathways Chicago as our keynote speaker. His day job is being a professor. He also writes for Wired magazine, is a social media star (whatever that means), has consulted for Hollywood, and is the author of multiple books. The best part is he’s super nice and a great guy.
- It’s all free, including the food! Nothing is ever free. We are able to make registration, the events, and the tables free because of generous donations from the National Science Foundation. Cosmic Pathways is supported by the National Science Foundation and the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) under grant no. 2325980 and ACCA (Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area).
Who should come:
- Any student majoring or minoring in astronomy, geophysics, physics, or materials science (even if you are just thinking about it)
- Any professor/staff in astronomy, geophysics, physics, or materials science
- Any high school student considering a career in STEM
- Any high school teacher who teaches physical sciences
- Any parent who is interested in learning more about how their child can be successful in the physical sciences
- Other STEM students are also welcome — there are huge parallels between the physical sciences, engineering, chemistry, computer science, and mathematics, though the focus of the conference will be physical sciences
- Members of the community who studied physical sciences, have amazing careers, and want to give back. If you would like a table for you or your company to discuss careers, please reach out to me at mwright@adelphi.edu.
The reality is that studying the physical sciences sets one up for a rewarding career. You get an amazing skill set, and knowing how to solve difficult problems opens people up to careers in a wide swath of society. These jobs are often professionally rewarding, lucrative ($$$$), and flexible — leading to a high quality of life. At the same time, it ain’t easy. Majoring in physics is often one of the hardest majors on campus. It involves late nights in the lab and long hours studying for difficult exams. The team at Cosmic Pathways is here for you. We wanted to create an experience to encourage you along your career, open your mind, and have a ton of fun to take the edge off.
If you are not in the Chicago vicinity, you may be interested in attending Cosmic Pathways New York City on November 7, or working with our team to host Cosmic Pathways in your corner of the country/world.
With great love,
Matthew Wright, Ph.D.
Co-Chair of Cosmic Pathways
Vice Chair of the Forum on Education at the American Physical Society
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