Programs

Mission

We are the Events and Panels Committee! Our goal is to bring the undergraduate physics community together. Specifically, we hope to give new students opportunities to get advice from upperclassmen and faculty and to provide a space for students to socialize with their peers.

Key Events

• University Club Fair
• Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Socials
• Annual Physics Pumpkin Drop
• Graduate School Panels
• Welcome to Physics Socials
• Game Nights
• Visitas Welcome Events
• Industry Panels

Mission

Polaris seeks to match physics upperclassmen and graduate student mentors with undergraduate physics freshmen and sophomores to help them navigate physics at Harvard and the border discipline as a whole. Mentors can guide mentees through class selection, how to get involved with the physics community, how to find research opportunities, and undergraduate life in general. Ideally, mentors may share not only the same academic interests but also a similar identity (race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) or cultural background. Polaris seeks to empower mentees to confidently pursue their interests in the world of physics by giving them an invaluable resource to turn to. Additionally, it looks to allow mentors to give back to the physics community by guiding the next generation of prospective physics students through the challenges that they or their peers may have also encountered along the way. Finally, it gives undergraduates an easy way to gain access to a research lab that may inspire them to pursue such research. 

Key Events

• Mentor and Mentee Matching Events
• Game Nights
• LISE Cafe Mentorship Coffee Breaks
• Collaborations with Other Harvard Concentrations

Mission

The Directed Reading Program pairs undergraduates with graduate mentors who direct a term-time study focusing on a subject in physics. The topics typically fall outside the scope of standard undergraduate coursework, as they may be niche, advanced, or unconventional. The program is a relaxed, collaborative setting for undergraduates to explore their selected subject under the guidance and mentorship of a Harvard graduate student. 

Key Events

• One-on-one Directed Reading Meetings
• Mentorship Gatherings

Mission

The Equity and Inclusion Committee strives to create and maintain an undergraduate physics community in which students from all backgrounds feel welcome, respected, and afforded equitable benefits from departmental resources. Alongside PRIMUS and Women in Physics, we aim to support and empower undergraduate physics students from marginalized backgrounds and identities.

Key Events

• Resources for international undergraduate students in physics
• Women of Color in Physics Social Outings and Gatherings
• Town Hall/Panel event on the importance of Diversity in Science
• Department Climate Assessment
  

Mission

Our goal is to effectively cultivate and manage communication channels for SPS. Our key roles are to:

• Create and update the SPS Instagram page
• Post monthly student spotlights
• Design posters of physics events on Jefferson/Science Center bulletin boards  
• Maintain email lists and organize messages by group
• Drafting emails requested by student groups/professors/event coordinators for the mailing list 
• Help with inter-committee communication in organizing events 
• Maintain Slack channels for the general SPS team 

Mission

The Queer Physics Collective is a new committee formed by undergraduate, Rain Wang. Our goal is to advocate for and promote community and inclusivity for LGBTQ+-identifying students in physics and related departments. This community is for undergrad or grad students interested in attending community socials, career/opportunity chats and panels, and/or safe spaces to navigate queerness at Harvard.

The Queer Physics Collective (QPC)  has three central goals: 

1. Foster an inclusive community for queer physicists (as well as general LGBTQ+ identifying people in STEM) to openly express their identities and themselves amongst like-minded individuals 

2. Raise awareness about and facilitate connections to academic and professional opportunities for LGBTQ+ people in physics and related fields 

3. Promote equity, diversity, and inclusion for LGBTQ+ people on campus and beyond* 

Key Events

• QPC Picnic
• Careers in Physics and Beyond Panel
• Tatte and Teas
• Fireside Chats with Industry Icons
• Faculty Lunches
• Letters to Professors

Mission

Chilloquium, short for “Chill Colloquium,” is a weekly hour-long Zoom speaker series featuring established physicists from diverse research backgrounds. Each session includes a presentation by the speaker, touching on their research and personal journey, followed by an open “ask-me-anything” Q&A session where students engage with the speaker. Each event attracts 20-50 attendees, including undergraduates, professors from Harvard/MIT, and international students from Japan and Vietnam. The series prioritizes diversity, inviting speakers from various countries, affiliations (universities, institutes, private companies), and research fields. Chilloquium’s impact stems from the informal conversations it cultivates, offering insights into the journey from being an undergraduate to an established researcher.

Check out previous Chilloquium recordings on YouTube!

Our Mission

As the Primus in Physics SPS Sub-Committee, our mission is twofold. Firstly, we aim to nurture a sense of belonging, particularly among those historically underrepresented in the Harvard Physics Department. Secondly, we strive to narrow the gap in institutional knowledge and cultural capital often faced by first-generation and low-income students compared to their peers. We firmly believe that by pursuing these objectives, we contribute to building an inclusive department that supports the diverse needs of all students on their academic journey.

We understand the significance of representation. When Physics undergraduates look around their classroom or faculty roster and find a lack of diversity, it can impact their sense of belonging. Additionally, students from less affluent backgrounds may encounter challenges in accessing research opportunities and connecting with individuals experienced in Physics at various academic levels. This can leave them feeling overwhelmed as they navigate the possibilities available to them in their undergraduate journey. By acknowledging these challenges, our committee is dedicated to creating opportunities that bridge the gap for first-generation and low-income students. Through the presence of Primus in Physics, our planned events throughout the academic year, and the department’s support, we aim to address this implicit imbalance in the undergraduate field.

Key Events

• Boba Tea Study Breaks
• PRIMUS at Physics Night
• Student-Faculty Lunches
• Research Panels
• VISITAS PRIMUS Meetup

Mission

The Women in Physics (WiP) organization at Harvard is a community of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral women who seek to support each other through mentoring, workshops, and community building events. In particular, the undergraduate WiP group seeks to foster community amongst women concentrators and help them navigate the physics department and broader academic landscape. In the past, we have held a variety of social events, as well as monthly Professors and Pastries chats, where we have heard from faculty members about their experiences as women in the field. This year, we are hoping to continue our programming and hold more panels that explore opportunities beyond our time at Harvard (planning some of these jointly with SPS).

Key Events

• WIP Shopping Week Event
• Professors and Pastries
• Graduate School and Industry Panels
• Exploring Fields of Study Networking and Lab Tour Event
• Monthly Study Breaks
• Harvard and MIT WiP Social Meetup