Program

Tentative Conference Program

Eastern Time Zone

(Draft 01 16 2025)

UCONN Gant Map

Friday, January 24, 2025


Bus pickup from the Hotel to the Physics Department, Gant South (GS) at 1:45pm and 2pm

2:00 – 4:45 PM One Site Check In Registration– Near Light Court GS. (See maps above/Signs)


Please sign up for the different Friday lab tours.

There will be no bus from Gant on Sunday at the end of the meeting at 2pm. Please bring your luggage with you on Sunday morning and please make your own arrangements to go to your final destinations.

3:00 – 4:15 PM Optional Lab tours; Options below. Choose at the registration desk.

  • Astrophysics (Dani Lipman, Meg Davis)
  • Ultra Cold laboratories in AMO Physics (Kaley Wilcox, Dan McCarron)
  • Condensed Matter Physics (Elena Dormidontova, Lea Ferreira dos Santos, Ilya Sochnikov, Menka Jain)
  • Low and medium energy Nuclear Physics (Juliette Stecenko, Andrea Mejia)
  • Ultrafast laser labs (Cameron Brady, Tobias Saule)
  • Particle Physics (Shohini Bhattacharya, Tom Blum, Gerald Dunne, Luchang Jin)

 

4:15 – 4:45 PM Opening Reception (Light Court)

4:45 – 5:15 PM Welcome by Provost Prof. Anne D’Alleva, Dept. Head Prof. George Gibson, Crystal Bailey (APS), and CU*iP Chair Nora Berrah. (GW002)

5:30 – 6:30 PM Dinner (Light Court)

Session 1: Chair Laura Greene (National MagLab and FSU)

6:45 – 7:15 PM Plenary Lecture 1 (20 mins) and Q/A (10 mins): Kate Kirby (APS)
“An Exciting Career in Physics with Family ”(GW002)

7:15 – 8:15 PM Panel discussion:Graduate Students ExperiencesModerator Lori McCabe (Mount Holyoke College) (GW002)

8:15 – 9:30 PM Social activity-I led by Matt Guthrie and his team.

Bus pickup from the Physics Department, Gant South, to the Hotel at Check 9:00 ??pm and 9:20 ??pm

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Bus pickup from the Hotel to the Physics Department, Gant South at 7:15 am and 7:30 am

8:00 – 8:30 AM Breakfast (Light Court)

Session 2: Chair Kate Kirby (APS)

8:30 – 9:00 AM Plenary Lecture 2 (20 mins) and Q/A (10 mins): Laura Greene (National MagLab and FSU) “Many Paths: Exploring the World of Quantum Materials”. (GW002)

9:10 – 10:30 AM Parallel Panel Session A

  • A1. Applying to graduate school. Is it right for me? Moderator Lori McCabe (Mount Holyoke College)  (GW001)
  • A2. Exploring post-undergrad physics careers.   Moderator Kate Kirby (APS) (P110)
  • A3. Career Paths in Academia. Moderator Sylvanie Wallington (UConn) (P116)
  • A4. Balancing personal and professional lives. Moderator Shohini Bhattacharya  (UConn) (P104)
  • A5. Discrimination, Harassment and LGBTQ+ . Moderator Amy Howell (UConn(P113)

10:30 – 11:00 AM Coffee Break (Light Court)

11:00 – 12:20 PM Parallel Panel Session B

  • B1. Career Paths in Industry. How Studying Physics Can Develop Needed Skills.  Moderator Gabriela Ilie (Mirion Technologies) (P116)
  • B2. Applying to graduate school. Is it right for me? Moderator Lori McCabe (Mount Holyoke College)  (GW001)
  • B3. Balancing personal and professional lives. Moderator Sylvanie Wallington (UConn) (P104)
  • B4. Discrimination, Harassment and LGBTQ+. Moderator  Crystal Bailey (APS) (P113)

12:20 – 1:20 PM Lunch (Light Court)

Session 3: Chair Meg Urry (Yale)

1:20 – 1:45 PM Group Photo– Everyone has to be in the Lecture room (GW002)

1:45 – 3:30 PM National Keynote Lecture; Meghan Anzelc, President and Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Three Arc Advisory  “From Code to Corner Office: Resilience, Risk-Taking, and Rising Above.” (GW002)

3:30 – 6:00 PM Refreshment (Light Court) and Poster Session adjacent to light Court

Judging will be done on Saturday. Keep poster up if  you wish to share with students for part of  Sunday. All posters must be down Sunday by 11:00 am

6:00 – 7:00 PM Conference Dinner (Light Court)

Session 4: Chair Cara Battersby (UConn)

7:00 – 7:30 PM Plenary Lecture 3 (20 mins) and Q/A (10 mins) Priya Natarajan (Yale U.)Dark matter, Dark energy, Black holes(GW002)

7:30 – 9:00 PM Social activity-II led by Matt Guthrie and his team.


Bus pickup from the Physics Department, Gant South, to the Hotel at 9:30 pm and 9:50 pm

 

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Bus pickup from the Hotel to the Physics Department, Gant South at 7:15 am and 7:30 am

For departing students from GANT with Luggage ask to use room: S101 (1st floor)

8:00 – 8:30 AM Breakfast (Light Court)

Session 5: Chair Erin Scanlon (UConn)

8:30 – 9:00 AM Plenary Lecture 4 (20 mins) Q/A (10 mins) Prof. Phiala Shanahan (MIT) “Particle physics, nuclear physics, and computation” (GW002)

9:00 – 9:15 AMFill out conference post- survey

9:15 – 10:30 AM
Parallel Panel Session C

  • C1. How to Get Involved in Research: Theory, Experiment or Computational. Which is for me? Moderator Sylvanie Wallington (UConn)  (P107)
  • C2. Confronting imposter syndrome. Moderator Shohini Bhattacharya (UConn) (P110)
  • C3. Depression and Anxiety: Dealing with Mental Health While in School.  Moderator Erin Scanlon (UConn)  (P113)
  • C4. Career Paths in Industry. How Studying Physics Can Develop Needed Skills. Moderator Gabriela Ilie (Mirion Technologies) (P116)

10:30 – 11:00 AM Coffee Break (Light Court)

Session 6: Chair Elena Dormidontova (UConn)

11:00 –12:30 PM Survey, Poster Awards and Networking/Mentoring  (GW002)

        11:00 – 11:15 am     Fill out conference post- survey and Poster Awards (GW002)

        11:15 – 12:30 PM     Small Groups Networking/Mentoring

Students will meet the panelists one on one to have their individual  questions addressed

        P107: Laura Greene (FSU), Phiala Shanahan (MIT), Shohini Bhattacharya (UConn).

        P110: Kate Kirby (APS), Giulia Semeghini (Harvard), Elena Dormidontova (UConn)

        P116: Crystal Bailey (APS), Rachel Gabriel (UConn), Sarah Trallero (UConn)

        P104: Asli Tandogan Kunkel (UConn), Emily Rice (MHC, CUNY), Kathleen Holgerson (UConn)

        P113: Erin Scanlon (UConn), Gabriela Ilie (Mirion Technologies), Lea Ferreira dos Santos (UConn)

 

12:30 –1:30 PM Lunch (Light Court)

1:30 – 2:00 PM Closing Ceremony (GW002)

Nora Berrah, George Gibson (UConn), Crystal Bailey (APS)

There will be no bus/transportation at the end of the meeting on Sunday at 2pm. You need to organize your own trip back to your institution. If you want to find other students to car pool with them, please sign up during the meeting at the registration desk on the sheets to find students with whom you can car pool to go to your final destination.

Parallel Panel Sessions Information

Friday, January 24, 2025

Panel Panelists Description
Graduate Students Experiences
  • Cameron Brady (UConn)
  • Meg Davis (UConn)
  • Dani Lipman (UConn)
  • Jessica Mitlehne (UConn)
  • Juliette Stecenko (UConn)
  • Kaley Wilcox (UConn)
  • Andrea Mejia (UConn)
  • Yutong Geng (UConn)
  • Lori McCabe (Mount Holyoke College)
  • Brenna Petrelli (UConn)
Students will describe their research experiences and will engage the audience to ask questions, to share their aspirations and to discuss opportunities and challenges as students in physics.

Saturday, January 25, 2025

 

Panel Panelists Description
A1: Applying to graduate school. Is it right for me?
  • Laura Greene (FSU)
  • Shohini Bhattacharya (UConn)
  • Meg Urry (Yale)
  • Lori McCabe (Mount Holyoke College)
The panelists will share their experience as researchers, mothers, professionals and will answer questions from the audience
A2: Exploring post-undergrad physics careers
  • Kate Kirby (APS)
  • Toni Sauncy (TLU)
  • Amy Courchesne (UConn)
  • Aislinn Daniels(UConn)
The panelists will share briefly how they decided to follow their career paths and will answer questions from the audience
A3: Career Paths in Academia
  • Emily Rice (MHC, CUNY)
  • Elena Dormidontova (UConn)
  • Lea Ferreira dos Santos (UConn)
The panelists will share how they decided to follow their career paths in academia and will engage the audience
A4: Balancing personal and professional lives
  • Stacey Hanlon (UConn)
  • Sarah Trallero (UConn)
  • Cara Battersby (UConn)
The panelists will share how they balance their personal and professional roles and will engage the audience
A5: Discrimination, Harassment and LGBTQ+
  • Erin Scanlon (UConn)
  • Kathleen Holgerson (UConn)
  • Crystal Bailey (APS)
The panelists will provide guidance on how to handle difficult situations and how to get help

 

Panel Panelists Description
B1. Career Paths in Industry. How Studying Physics Can Develop Needed Skills
  • Gabriela Ilie (Mirion Technologies)
  • Sadhana Suresh (Mevion Medical System)
  • Maggie Sundberg (Volaris Capital Management- Financial industry)
  • Priya Menon (ITW Graphics)
  • Zhanna Rodnova (Thorlabs)
The panelists will share how they decided to have a career in industry and will engage the audience
B2: Applying to graduate school. Is it right for me?
  • Laura Greene (FSU)
  • Meg Urry (Yale)
  • Lea Ferreira dos Santos (UConn)
  • Lori McCabe (Mount Holyoke College)
The panelists will share their experience as researchers, mothers, professionals and will answer questions from the audience
B3: Balancing personal and professional lives
  • Kate Kirby (APS)
  • Stacey Hanlon (UConn)
  • Sarah Trallero (UConn)
  • Cara Battersby (UConn)
The panelists will share how they balance their personal and professional roles and will engage the audience
B4: Discrimination, Harassment and LGBTQ+
  • Crystal Bailey (APS)
  • Erin Scanlon (UConn)
  • Kathleen Holgerson (UConn)
The panelists will provide guidance on how to handle difficult situations and how to get help

Sunday, January 26, 2025

 

Panel Panelists Description
C1: How to Get Involved in Research: Theory, Experiment or Computational. Which is for me?
  • Phiala Shanahan (MIT)
  • Giulia Semeghini (Harvard)
  • Laura Greene (FSU)
The panelists will provide guidance on how to choose a research program that is right for you
C2. Confronting imposter syndrome
  • Kate Kirby (APS)
  • Rachel Gabriel (UConn)
  • Shohini Bhattacharya (UConn)
  • Asli Tandogan Kunkel (UConn)
  • Kathleen Holgerson (UConn)
  • Emily Rice (MHC, CUNY)
The panelists will provide guidance on how to confront imposter syndrome
C3. Depression and Anxiety: Dealing with Mental Health While in School
  • Erin Scanlon (UConn)
  • Crystal Bailey (APS)
  • Terran Turetsky (UConn)
The panelists will provide guidance on how to deal with mental health at school
C4. Career Paths in Industry. How Studying Physics Can Develop Needed Skills
  • Gabriela Ilie (Mirion Technologies)
  • Sadhana Suresh (Mevion medical Systems)
  • Maggie Sundberg (Financials)
  • Priya Menon (ITW Graphics)
The panelists will share how they decided to have a career path in industry and will engage the audience