Bozeman Magazine

Montana State University has been chosen as one of nine host sites for the 2017 Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics put on each year by the American Physical Society. 

The other institutions selected for 2017 include: Harvard University; Princeton University; Rice University; UCLA; University of Colorado, Boulder; University of Wisconsin; Virginia Tech; and Wayne State University.

Universities and colleges that wish to host a conference must apply to the APS. Selections are made based on the following criteria:

Selections are made based on the host institution’s ability to demonstrate a clear commitment to the goals of the program as well as its plan for broad recruitment that supports a vision of increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in physics, according to the application guidelines.

The conference, to be held Jan. 13-15 in Bozeman, is intended for undergraduate women from the Northwest region, including Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, North and South Dakota. The goal is to provide undergraduate women in physics opportunities to network, particularly with other women in physics, as well as to provide them with information regarding career choices, including graduate school, private industry and entrepreneurship. 

A typical program, according to the national website, will include research talks by faculty, panel discussions about graduate school and careers in physics, presentations and discussions about women in physics, laboratory tours, student research talks, a student poster session and several meals during which presenters and students interact with each other. The MSU conference will also include an opening reception at the Museum of the Rockies. 

Current sponsors and partners for the upcoming conference include the MSU College of Letters and Science, Department of Physics, Honors College, Graduate School, College of Engineering, President’s Office, Office of Research, the MSU Library, the Montana Space Grant Consortium, the graduate school of Montana Tech and the physics department at the University of Montana.

For more information on the conference and for upcoming registration information, see: http://www.montana.edu/cuwip/ or email cuwip@montana.edu.