Conference for Women and Gender Minorities in Physics at the University of Connecticut

January 24 – 26, 2025

Welcome to APS CU*iP 2025 at UCONN!

The Physics Department at the University of Connecticut (UConn) will host during Jan 24-26, 2025, a Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (CU*iP), coordinated by the American Physical Society (APS), with the support of UConn’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Office of the Provost, and the Office of Sponsored Programs as well as support from donors. The organizing committee, consisting of faculty and students, is committed to help undergraduate women and gender minorities pursue their major in physics by providing them the opportunity to learn about different career tracks, graduate studies and various professions in physics.

CU*iP Purpose and Aims:

The goal of APS CU*iP is to help undergraduate women and gender minorities continue in physics by providing them with the opportunity to experience a professional conference, information about graduate school and professions in physics, and access to peers in physics of all ages with whom they can share experiences, advice, and ideas. The national and local organizing committees of APS CU*iP strive to create a welcoming environment for all.

UConn welcomes at the conference undergraduate students and scientists so they can together share experiences and concerns and receive feedback and advice. Our goal is for students to learn and share experiences at a professional conference that will enable them to build community through peer networks, and to interact closely with speakers and panelists. The conference will also provide the students with feedback about their current work and aspirations as well as mentoring about career paths. UConn has a strong Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy and makes every effort to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all.

About UConn

UConn was founded in 1881, thanks to a donation of land by brothers Charles and Augustus Storrs. More than 130 years later, the University of Connecticut has become one of the top public universities in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. UConn is located in the heart of the northeast, halfway between New York City and Boston. UConn’s campuses make for an energizing and inspiring environment. At UConn, students learn and create new knowledge alongside esteemed professors and talented peers.

About CU*iP

The Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics will be held for the 19th year this January 2025!

CUWiP was founded at the University of Southern California in 2006 and grew as a grassroots organization until the American Physical Society offered its organizational support in 2014.

Timeline with Dates

1. Applications Open: August 26, 2024
2. Applications  have officially closed: October 24, 2024 at 8:00am ET
3. Decisions Sent & Registration Open: November 12, 2024
4. Registration Deadline: December 4, 2024 at 5:00pm ET
5. CU*iP 2025: January 24-26, 2025

CU*iP 2025 US-Based Host Sites

 

• California Polytechnic State University
• Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
• Michigan Technological University
• New York University
• Purdue University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Syracuse University
• University of Alabama
• University of California, Berkeley/LBNL
• University of California, San Diego
• University of Colorado, Boulder
• University of Connecticut
• University of Memphis
• University of Virginia
• Washington State University

Conference Overview

The 2025 CU*iP at UConn will provide plenary lectures that will describe research topics that cover Astrophysics, Dark Matter and Black Holes, to Material and Applied Science, Machine Learning, as well as APS resources for various STEM careers. The National Keynote Plenary Lecture will be presented by Meghan Anzelc, Head of Data and Analytics. In addition, we will offer various panel discussions that cover topics such as exploring post-undergrad physics careers – SPS careers toolkit; career paths in academia; balancing personal and professional lives; discrimination, harassment and LGBTQ+, career paths in industry; how studying physics can develop needed skills; applying to graduate school. There will be an opportunity for students to present a poster of their work, or on the work they would love to do in the future as well as opportunities to network during the social activities.

UConn is committed to diversity and inclusion, and everyone is welcome!

Apply

Participation in CU*iP

CU*iP has become incredibly popular. To maximize the number of CU*iP participants we can accommodate, we will allocate participants to sites based on travel logistics and site capacity. Please do not purchase travel tickets or plan to be at a specific site until you receive an email confirming you have been accepted to a specific CU*iP site.

All meals and accommodation during the conference are organized and the costs are met by CU*iP. Travel to the conference is usually paid for by attendees’ home departments, and if this is not possible there are funds available to support travel to CU*iP (contact us uconn_cuwip@uconn.edu) so no one has to miss out on CU*iP for financial reasons.

CU*iP Sponsors

We thank all of our sponsors, which include Federal funds listed below:
APS, DoE, NSF: These conferences are supported in part by the National Science Foundation (PHY-1346627, PHY-1622510, and PHY-2012033) and by the Department of Energy (DE-SC0011076). Further details are available on the APS conference website.

 

We also thank generous support from:

1. UConn Physics Department, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Office of the Provost, the Vice President for Research, the College of Engineering and the Institute of Material Sciences.
2. The Ed Eyler and Karen Greer fund.
3. The Mark Miller Fund. Sponsorship provided in memory of City College of New York Physicists William Miller and Myriam Sarachik.
4. Mirion Technologies.
5. The Del Boca family gift.
6. AAS.
7. The New England Section of the APS
8. Startorialist Science and Fashion Shop

This site is specific to the 2025 APS CU*iP at the University of Connecticut. For more general information about APS CU*iP and to sign up for updates, visit the APS CU*iP main page.