Grace presented her undergraduate research “Density Functional Theory Evaluation of Pentacene on Cu (110)” project with Dr. Bickel. Sophia participated in several conference panels. Please read student reflections below.

Grace Miller (BS Honors Physics and BS Honors Math candidate, Spring 2025, SPS co-president/treasurer) with her research poster at CU*IP. “Attending the Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (CU*IP), is an extremely inspiring, motivating, and encouraging opportunity for any young women in science. Having the opportunity to attend CU*IP allowed me to network with dozens of women within the field, discuss a wide variety of research, and learn from various peers and mentors. I was also able to give a poster presentation on my current research while at the conference. Overall, attending CU*IP is very uplifting – it helped me gain confidence as a scientist and believe in my ability to succeed. I hope more CSU students are able to attend this conference in future years.”

Sophia Greene (BS Physics 2024, MS Physics candidate Spring 2025, SPS secretary) with other panelists on How to Be an Ally" panel (second from the left).“I attended CU*IP as a 'Grad Leader', which meant I had the opportunity to participate in several panels over the course of the conference and was a judge for the undergraduate poster presentations. 

I was a panelist for "How to Be an Ally," "Applying to Graduate School," and "Research Talk: Geophysics/Planetary and Atmospheric Sciences." It was an excellent opportunity for me to become more comfortable in a public speaking role while also helping undergraduate students navigate their physics careers. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I felt a renewed sense of belonging. As a side note, I learned a lot about Taylor Swift, which I know isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm here for it.”