I am reaching out to you to tell you about an amazing opportunity for you, your peers, and your department. On November 7, we will be hosting Cosmic Pathways NYC at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. The registration and abstract deadline is coming up soon on October 7!
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 by October 7th. 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 Brad Conrad, Ph.D.: Cosmic Pathways NYC’s Keynote speaker is Dr. Brad Conrad. He is amazing. He is the education and Workforce Development Manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM). He basically knows where all of the amazing high-tech jobs are. And is super funny and amazing. He is one of the nicest people in the world.
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 Thorlabs, Inc
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
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.
Thank you
Matthew Wright, Ph.D.
Co-Chair of Cosmic Pathways
Adelphi University Physics Chair
Vice Chair of the Forum on Education at the American Physical Society
Check out our latest tiktok:
Here is a link to a fancy flier:
https://cosmicpathways.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/CP2026_SaveTheDate_8.5×11.pdf
Here is a link to a short informative flier:
https://cosmicpathways.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Cosmic-Pathways-NYC-One-Pager.pdf
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