Society of Physics Students

 

 

 

 

 

2022-2023 SPS T-shirts on sale now, scroll to the very bottom for details!

About The Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma

The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional association open to anyone interested in physics. One does not have to be a Physics Major to be a member. At the global level, SPS members include not only physics majors, but also students and professionals in astronomy, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, mathematics, medicine, and other fields. Within SPS is a separate association, Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ). Sigma Pi Sigma is the national physics and astronomy honor society, which elects members on the basis of outstanding academic achievements. Induction into Sigma Pi Sigma shall be based upon character and academic and professional attainments and is not restricted to physics majors. The Marshall University Chapter of SPS celebrated the 100th Birthday of ΣΠΣ in the spring 2022 semester when a celebration could occur face-to-face. A presentation on the history of both the MU chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma and the MU chapter of the Society of Physics Students, illustrating who were the key players in their development, was provided. That presentation with hyperlinks is available here (provided by Faculty SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma Advisor, Dr. Sean P. McBride): MU SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma Chapters

History

The Society of Physics Students was formed in 1968 with a constitution that combined its two “parent” organizations, The American Institute of Physics (AIP) Student Sections and the Sigma Pi Sigma honor society. SPS now has over 850 chapters on campuses across the country. The associated honor society, Sigma Pi Sigma, now exists in about 600 of those chapters with over 100,000 inductees throughout its history. Marshall University’s Society of Physics Students has roots that extend back to 1960 when the AIP first recognized an AIP student Section from, then, Marshall College under Physics Department Chair Dr. Donald C. Martin. Marshall College was elevated to Marshall University in 1961 under the advisement of Dr. Stewart H. Smith, the seventh and longest serving Marshall University President in the history of the institution. Marshall University established its Sigma Pi Sigma Chapter in 2008 under the advisement of Dr. Ralph E. Oberly (Marshall Physics Professor for 49 years from 1970-2019 and Chair of the Physics Department to follow after Dr. Martin).

Purpose and Mission

SPS is a chapter-based society that exists to help students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community. Traditional coursework develops only one range of skills. Other skills needed to flourish professionally include effective communication and personal interactions, leadership experience, establishing a personal network of contacts, presenting scholarly work in professional meetings and journals, research experiences, and outreach services to the campus and local communities. Through its members, advisers, chapters, and leadership, SPS enables national initiatives and local impacts within the community. Locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, the SPS offers the opportunity for these important enrichments to the student’s experience.

SPS at Marshall is a Nationally Recognized Student Organization

Marshall University’s SPS Organization has been nationally recognized the last five consecutive academic years by the National SPS Office. When you see a student member of the Society of Physics Students, make sure to congratulate them on earning the title of a Distinguished Society of Physics Student Chapter for the 17-19 academic years and an Outstanding SPS Chapter award for the 2019-2022 academic years! A Society of Physics Students Outstanding Chapter award is the highest level of distinction given to SPS chapters and is received by less than 12% of top chapters annually, with just 96 of 844 chapters honored in the 2020 year, 80 of 844 chapters honored in 2021, and 86 of 844 chapters honored in 2022. The Distinguished Chapter awards prior, put the group in the top 22% of all SPS chapters during that time. “We at the SPS National Office want to take this opportunity to commend and applaud you for your tireless efforts to enrich the SPS community. It is because of your dedication and commitment to the SPS mission and vision that we are able to foster such a strong SPS community” – Brad R. Conrad, Ph.D., Director, Society of Physics Students & Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ).​

The Marshall University Chapter of the Society of Physics Students

Here at Marshall, during the above award years, the make-up of the SPS organization has fluctuated from being mostly comprised of physics majors to only having a few physics majors; the group is always looking to recruit from other majors, especially those in science education or STEM related fields. The main objective of SPS at Marshall is to have fun as a group. We encourage interested students in the sciences, and physics in particularly, to develop and grow in their knowledge base of science and physics related research, develop a strong collegiate bond between faculty and students, promote public interest and awareness in science in general and specifically physics, and recognize high levels of student achievements by means of a Sigma Pi Sigma induction.

Since fall 2019, decided by the then current SPS members and continued until now, it was decided that SPS would be more of an outreach and recruiting student organization for those in the Physics Department/program who are involved in outreach or assisting with the SPS  group’s own outreach activities that they devise. In spring 2020, through Fall 2021, many of the planned outreach events were cancelled due to covid; however, SPS students were still able to conduct virtual outreach and promote physics and the department via their virtual Faces of Physics speaker Series and Science Olympiad Coaching (more details for both in the links below). The SPS group does have interests in fundraising activities in an effort to save money to go on a fun/cool/educational trip at the end of either the semester or academic year depending on how much money is raised and available. At the end of every semester would be ideal for a trip. This trip could be to a national lab/school/graduate program/etc. An additional goal for SPS will also be networking for the students for future employment; so, meetings will likely host speakers from academia and industry.

• Check us out on Herdlink: https://herdlink.marshall.edu/organization/society-of-physics-students
• Also, check out the Marshall Physics Facebook Page
• Here is our Digital Brochure: MU SPS

Want to Become a SPS Member at Marshall University?

If you want get involved in SPS and become a member, contact Dr. Sean P. McBride, current SPS faculty advisor as of August 2017 (mcbrides@marshall.edu) or go to one of the SPS meetings. Bring a friend. If you really want to get involved in SPS and have a leadership role as a SPS member, which looks great on resumes for grad school or employment, you are encouraged you to apply for an officer position. Meeting times and locations change each semester, contact Dr. McBride for the most current information. All majors and all academic ranks from freshmen to graduate students are welcome to attend meetings and join the club!

Current Officers Elected Post Spring 2023: AJ Messinger (President), Liv Stockwin (Vice President),
Victoria Maynor (Treasurer), Jacob Lee (Secretary), Kolbey Walker (Social Media Officer), and Peter Burbery (Recruitment Officer)

SPS Advisor:          Dr. Sean P. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu), Associate Professor, Physics

• The following link will allow you to register to become an official member: Join SPS National | Society of Physics Students
• Membership dues are only $24 per year (costs may be covered by the local SPS endowment funds, talk to Dr. McBride, see below).
• Memberships will be covered according the MU SPS Chapter bylaws if members are active over the membership year in which they purchased.

Marshall Physics Department and National SPS Scholarships and Awards Available!

Click here to link to Marshall’s Physics Department Scholarship Page for all scholarships available to current Marshall students and ones specifically for current Marshall physics students, including ones available for SPS members. For a more in-depth presentation of the benefits of being an SPS member click here. Click here to find out information on national SPS deadlines for awards and scholarships.

MU SPS Chapter Article Contributions to ‘The SPS Observer’

“The SPS Observer is the quarterly magazine of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) published by SPS and the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Four issues are mailed each academic year: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Subscriptions are included in your SPS national membership dues. Each issue contains interesting feature articles, advice from experienced voices, chapter interactions and activities, physics problems, society news, announcements, and meeting notes from SPS reporters. ~ About The SPS Observer | Society of Physics Students (spsnational.org)” Over the years the SPS advisor, officers, and members have contributed three articles to the nationally in print distributed magazine.

 

• Winter 2019 – A Week of Physics “Phun” at Marshall University
• Spring 2021 – Faces of Physics: Campus Event Turned Virtual Speaker Series
• Fall 2021 -Coaching West Virginia’s Top Science Olympiad Team for Nationals

Faces of Physics Speaker Series from November 2020 through fall 2023

Marshall University’s Society of Physics Students continues to host the Faces of Physics Speaker Series from November 2020 through fall 2023.

Would you like to learn more about the search for life in space, planets around other stars, the quest to understand and cure cancer, mysterious outer space clocks called pulsars, improving physics labs for students, student perspectives on life and research in graduate school, and what it is like working in industry  and get a chance to meet and ask questions to brilliant scientists who are asking big questions and making exciting discoveries? Then please join us for the Faces of Physics Speaker Series, hosted by Marshall University’s Society of Physics Students from November 2020 through fall 2023. Each month during the regular academic semesters, a guest speaker will give a ~ 45-minute talk on their current research, followed by a Q&A session with attendees. The talks will be held virtually through YouTube Live and are free and open to the public and will be appropriate for all ages. The goal of the event is to highlight the work of researchers from underrepresented groups to promote inclusion and inspire the next generation of scientists to see a place for themselves in the exciting field of physics. To stay up to date on information pertaining to the event, sign up for the mailing list below or follow Marshall University Physics on Facebook www.facebook.com/MUPhysicsDept 

Click the following link to receive information about the Society of Physics Students upcoming fall 2020 through fall 2022 speaker series, “Faces of Physics”: https://forms.gle/3tjMMBo81sHjwmTb7

This speaker’s series started out as a single event planned on campus and partially funded via the Future Faces of Physics Award for spring 2020 from the National SPS Office (American Institute of Physics), but covid-19 had other plans and it was radically transformed for fall 2020. The story of how this single Campus Event Turned Virtual Speaker Series is featured in the Spring 2021 edition of The SPS Observer. The SPS Observer is the quarterly magazine of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) published by SPS and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and is distributed nationally.

The speakers for the Faces of Physics speaker’s series in fall 2023 will be supported by external funding: Financial Support for the Faces of Physics speaker’s series will made possible by the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium (grant# 80NSSC20M0055). At times the series was funded by the American Institute of Physics and the SPS chapter itself.

Fall 2023 Faces of Physics Speakers

To be Announced….check back for updated information.

Previous Faces of Physics Speakers and Links to Their Videos (click on speaker name for their bio and or supporting info):

Prof. Aldo Humberto Romero – Can we really Design Materials from Scratch, February 27th @ 7:00 PM EST (USA), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKCF2NX38u8

Dr. Yasu Okumura – Higgs? Vacuum? Symmetry? Let’s reveal the mysteries of the universe with LHC!, December 1st @ 3:00 PM EST (USA), https://youtu.be/DVy6mg-XLrk

Ellie White, Sarah Olivera, and Victoria Catlett – Journeys to the Green Bank Observatory – November 3rd @ 7:00 PM, https://youtu.be/tKxRyPvEcUw

Dr. Tina Cartwright –  Career Trajectories and Pluto (?), Saturday, April 21st, 2022, 6:30 pm ET. https://youtu.be/u3VwsQxyUtw

Dr. Cheng Cen – Quantum Phases on Demand, Department of Physics and Astronomy at West Virginia University, Friday, March 25th, 2022, 7 pm ET.  https://youtu.be/IvZ2prftGig

Dr. Natasha G. Holmes – The Trouble with Traditional Physics Labs, Department of Physics at Cornell University, Friday, February 25th, 2022, 4-5pm ET. https://youtu.be/YP8Gq4hv99c

Emily Sutherland – Undergraduate Student to Doctoral Candidate: A Marshall Alumna’s Perspective, Physics PhD candidate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, December 2, 2021, 7 p.m. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bORP16Kd18

Links to previous speaker’s biographies and links to theirs talks can be found here.

MU SPS Receives a $25,000 Endowment + $3,000 in Fluid Funds for Activities

Established June 7th 2021 – This endowment and fund was made possible by the very kind, generous, and patient Dr. Frederick W. Smith.

Dr. Frederick W. Smith grew up in Huntington, West Virginia. He is the son of a former Marshall University President [1946-1968], Stewart H. Smith. In 1960, he graduated from Marshall High School (which was then on the Marshall College campus) and then pursued a B.A. degree in physics from Lehigh University and graduated in 1964. He then went on to Brown University and graduated with a PhD in solid state physics in 1969. After a postdoc at Rutgers University, he joined the faculty of the Physics Department of the City College of the City University of New York in 1970. There he had a 43 year long career as a physicist teaching and conducting experimental research in solid state physics and materials science. He is coauthor with Prof. Joel Gersten on the textbook “The Physics and Chemistry of Materials” and is an author of over 80 publications.

Dr. Smith read about the activities of the SPS chapter at Marshall in the Marshall Alumni Bulletin in January 2021 and wanted to contribute to the activities of the physics students. He wanted advice on what are some of the needs of the SPS students. The Society of Physics Students Fund for the Marshall University Chapter of SPS was established 6 months later in June 2021. Dr. Frederick W. Smith has committed to establishing a $25,000 endowment for the Marshall University Society of Physics Students for use in SPS events and activities. This translates to the SPS chapter having access to roughly $500 a semester from this endowment when it matures, during which time, an additional $3,000 has been provided to assist with annual activities. The establishment of this fund will enable SPS to further increase their impact on our local community and will increase exciting professional growth opportunities for Marshall’s physics majors as well.

As a result of the establishment of this endowed Fund by Dr. Smith, it is the hope that all physics majors at Marshall University will also be SPS members; therefore, both the SPS group will remain strong for generations to come and all the physics majors will benefit from this Fund. The Fund has been specifically established to be for the activities carried out by the SPS members. The students in the MU SPS group are to decide how the funds are to be used. The physics students in MU SPS are forever grateful for Dr. Smith’s kindness, generosity, and patience, all qualities of which helped make this fund possible.

Recent SPS News & Activities for the 2022-2023 Academic Year

Upward Bound Motor madness (6/29/203)!

Upward Bound Students at Marshall University had the opportunity to build DC motors in a workshop hosted by the Department of Physics, which was run with the help of those in the Society of Physics Students! Students got to learn how magnetic fields and currents interact to produce magnetic forces on current loops. Students got to take their motors home with them and the winners with the fastest motor received official Marshall University Physics Department T-shirts or sweatshirts! Society of Physics Students (SPS) President Eli Williamson and SPS Recruitment Officer Peter Burbery were able to assist in running the workshop along with their SPS advisor Dr. Sean P. McBride. Thanks to Upward Bound for including the Department of Physics . Students, please contact Dr. Sean P. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu) if you have questions about what you did during the workshop or want to learn more about what a degree in Physics can offer you. This workshop was sponsored by the Department of Physics in conjunction with the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund.

Kellogg Elementary School Demo show (7-6-2022)!

Thank you to those in the Kellogg Elementary School Summer Camp for recently visiting Marshall University and the MU Physics Department for a fun and exciting demo show! Fun was had by all! Kids in kindergarten through 6th grade got to ‘see’ sound with fire, walk on a non-Newtonian fluid, see Bernoulli’s principle in action, witness thunder and lightning in the classroom, launch rockets, see smoke rings, and much more! President Eli Williamson and Vice President AJ Messinger from the award-winning Society of Physics Students (SPS), along with Drs. Sean and Sachiko McBride, all worked together to carry out the demonstrations. The fantastic reactions of the students captured just how much they enjoyed the science demos. Everyone involved enjoyed the 45-minute show! The kids from Kellogg elementary were a great group of students and super eager to be volunteers to participate in the science demos. Overall, a great energetic group of students! Supplies for some of the demos were graciously sponsored by the Department of Physics in conjunction with the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund.

SPS Members participate in New Student Orientation (7/12/2022)!

The Society of Physics Students (SPS) President Eli Williamson, Vice President AJ Messinger, and their advisor Dr. Sean P. McBride welcomed new students today July 12th, 2022, from 11:30 – 1:00 pm during the New Student Orientation! This portion of the New Student Orientation event packed the lobby of the Memorial Student Center with active student groups with these groups also sprawling out on to the MSC Plaza. All student organizations provided possible opportunities for new students to participate in giving them a peek into student life on campus. A half dozen students showed an interest in either the Society of Physics Students organization or the physics major or minor. Information about the SPS group and the physics major and minor were provided to those interested. Thanks to SPS members for assisting today! You did a great Job!

 

 

Future Scientists participate in Motor Madness Workshop (7/20/2022)!

On 7-20-2022, a collection of curious young scientists in the 9–12-year-old range witnessed the role motors play in the modern machining by observing lathes, milling machines, and 3D printers in operation. They then had the opportunity to build their own motors in a workshop hosted by the Department of Physics, which was run with the help of those in the Society of Physics Students, the First2 Network, and WV Science Adventures! The half day workshop was co-sponsored by WV Science Adventures and National Youth Science Foundation, along with supplies and prizes bring sponsored by the Department of Physics in conjunction with the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund. Students got to learn how magnetic fields and currents interact to produce magnetic forces on current loops. Students got to take their motors home with them and the winners with the fastest motor received official Marshall University Physics Department T-shirts or sweatshirts! Society of Physics Students (SPS) Vice President AJ Messinger and SPS advisor Dr. McBride were on hand helping to run the workshop alongside WV Science Adventure mentors and First2 students Kimi Sturm and Abby Thompson. Kimi and Abby are soon to be Marshall university freshman, who are gaining summer research experience with Dr. Sean P. McBride in his laboratory through Marshall’s partnership with the First2 Network (First2) program. First2 students are provided 2 weeks room and board, some entertainment, introductions to faculty, tours, research experience, and are additionally provided a stipend. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation, there is no cost to the students. First2 is a grassroots effort in West Virginia that aims to improve the college enrollment rate and success of undergraduate STEM students, with emphasis on rural first-generation students through their “first 2” years of college.

SPS Members participate in New Student Orientation (8/3/2022)!

The Society of Physics Students (SPS) President Eli Williamson, Vice President AJ Messinger, and their advisor Dr. Sean P. McBride welcomed new MU students on campus today, Aug 3rd, 2022, from 11:30 – 1:00 pm during the New Student Orientation! This was a great event that helped welcome new students to campus, giving them a peek into MU student life opportunities. Information about the department of physics and the SPS group was shared with these new students while they were on campus. Over a half dozen students showed an interest in either the Society of Physics Students organization or the physics major or minor. Thanks to SPS members for assisting today! You did a great Job!

 

Rec Fest 2022 (8-20-2022)!

Rec Fest was an awesome event ! I hope you had fun and got to meet new friends, talk to some of the local businesses, and chat with some of the on-campus organizations present! Hopefully you got to stop by the Physics and Society of Physics Students (SPS) table. Marshall’s SPS chapter is nationally recognized as an ‘Outstanding Chapter’, a level of distinction given to less than 12% of the top chapters recently, with just 96 of 844 chapters so honored in the 2020 year and 80 of 844 in the 2021 year. The SPS group focuses on science outreach in both the on and off campus communities. If you are interested in and want to become a member of SPS please email the SPS advisor, Dr. Sean P. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu). Questions about majoring in physics here at Marshall and picking up a minor in physics are welcome. You do not have to be a physics major to be part of SPS. If you could not make it today, still feel free to email questions

First meeting of the new academic year  (8/31/2022)!

Thank you to all the potential new members and current members that showed up to the first Society of Physics Students (SPS) and MU Astronomy Club (MUAC) meetings of the fall 2022 academic semester! It was great to meet you and sit down and share some good food and good conversation. I hope to see you at meetings in the future, sharing your ideas for great outreach and cool projects, and participating in outreach events that we already have established. Participation in such outreach organizations looks fantastic on resumes. If you have any questions about being a member of SPS or MUAC or about anything related to the groups, please email Dr. Sean P. McBride, the SPS and MUAC faculty advisor at mcbrides@marshall.edu. The SPS group here at Marshall is about promoting the STEM fields, including physics, and doing outreach for both the on and off campus communities. The MUAC is a revitalized club on campus looking for new members and to make its mark. If you missed the meeting today for whatever reason, but want more information and have questions, send an email to mcbrides@marshall.edu or sign up on HerdLink (https://herdlink.marshall.edu/).

Marshall SPS members at PhysCON 2022 in Washington, DC 10/6-8/2022!

Congratulations to AJ Messinger for being selected as a poster finalist for the 2022 Physics Congress held in Washington, DC October 5-8th, this was largest known gathering of undergraduate physics students in the United States! There were over 350 poster abstracts submitted and ~ 1200 undergraduate physics students in attendance. The event was hosted by Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics and astronomy honor society, and marked the 100th year of the organization’s existence. AJ’s research advisor, Dr. Sean P. McBride was nominated for The Society of Physics Students Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award and also helped recruit for the Herd, specifically the graduate programs in Physics at Marshall University. The 2022 Physics Congress was filled with student workshops, student focused networking events, Expos & Career Fairs, amazing Centennial Plenary speakers such as John Mather, Eric Cornell, Jim Gates, and Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and so much more. Though AJ and Dr. McBride did not bring home awards, they were humbled by the many great student advocates, leaders, and fellow students at 2022 Physics Congress to compete and network with.

 

Marshall SPS members Attend Joint Zone 7 SPS Meeting in Michigan and also present latest research results at the fall 2022 EGLAPS 10/22/2022!

Congratulations to Marshall University sophomore Physics Major AJ Messinger on successful presentation of his summer research at the Eastern Great Lakes Section of the American Physical Society meeting held on October 21st through the 22nd at Lawrence Technical University in Southfield, Michigan. This was the perfect venue for AJ’s first oral presentation on his research. The conference meeting was held jointly with the Michigan Chapter of the American Association of Physics Teachers (MIAAPT). AJ conducted his research with his mentor, Dr. Sean P. McBride in the Physics Department here at Marshall University. The trip was filled with valuable experiences and many lessons learned.

 

 

SPS Participates in Huntington Middle School Pumpkin Drop (10-31-2022)!

Happy Halloween! Thank you once again Ms. Haines for putting on an awesome Huntington Middle School Pumpkin drop for fall 2022 for your students! Fun was had by all! Also thank you for letting members of the Marshall University chapter of the Society of Physics Students and students from Marshall University’s College Physics I (PHY 201) and associated laboratories (PHY 202) help with the event! Students at Marshall University in these courses are currently learning about how the change in momentum and the duration of time of a collision has an effect on force during collisions, so the event was perfect timing. Dr. Sean P. McBride from the Department of Physics gave a brief lecture to students at the start of the event in the middle of October to explain the relationships between force, change momentum, and duration of collisions and how students needed to focus on these concepts in an attempt to save their pumpkins in their enclosures that would plummet near 40-feet off the roof of their school. Many helpers from MU came in and out throughout the next couple of weeks to assist the students in building their devices and to assist as judges and to help on drop day. The excitement, like the forces on the pumpkins, came to a peak on drop day. The peak forces on the pumpkins this year were too great and all pumpkins had experienced some damage. The students however learned many lessons and were all winners! As Ms. Haines has said, “Huge and heartfelt thanks go out to all of you for helping to make the pumpkin drop a success! We could not do it without you. Thank you so much. Happy Halloween!” Thank you, Ms. Haines, for your hard work and planning! Can’t wait to be part of it again next year!

SPS at the 58th Annual International Festival (11-5-2022)!

Thanks to those on campus and in the community who took part in the 59th International Festival held on November 5th, 4.00pm-8.00pm in the Don Morris Room of the Memorial Student Center on the Huntington campus of Marshall University! It was a very enjoyable evening with friends and family from the Marshall Community! As usual it was great to interact with all the kids and young students interested in science! Many thanks go to the Society of Physics Students (SPS) members Eli Williamson and Helen Pahno and Marshall University Astronomy Club (MUAC) members Hannah Turner and Wallace Payne for helping run the event. Also, a big thank you to Jyotsna Patel, Program Manager, MU Enrollment Services & International Student Services for allowing us to participate and congratulations to her and her team on a successful well-organized event! We look forward to next year already! For any follow up discussions about the MU Physics program, MUAC, or SPS, please email Dr. Sean P. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu). “West Virginia’s oldest and longest running international festival, the annual exposition features international foods, world music and dance and displays representing many different countries and cultures. The festival is open to the public and is free of charge to enter. Learn more at the Marshall University International Festival website.”

Huntington High Egg Drop Contest (11-18-22)!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Huntington High Egg Drop Competition! This was very enjoyable for all that participated. The contest was devised by MU Society of Physics Student President Eli Williamson, who is performing his in-class clinical teaching experience at Huntington High School this semester as part of his MU degree requirements for completion of his BA in Secondary Education, Physics 9-Adult, a program in which Eli has also earned a minor in Physics. The goal of this egg drop competition was to demonstrate how an increase in impact time throughout a large momentum change allows for the force of impact on the egg to decrease, thus protecting it from cracking following a two-story drop. Students were asked to apply knowledge taught to them by Mr. Williamson in order to design and test contraptions to best apply their knowledge. A little healthy competition also helps students to feel motivated to do their best to receive a prize, further incentivizing their participation and encourage them to learn more for the sake of best execution. The winners each received an MU Society of Physics Students t-shirts. The development of the contest will be included as part of Mr. Williamson’s capstone project for his degree. Excellent job Eli! Many thanks to those at Huntington High for helping to make this this happen and for Mr. Canady for his mentoring and allowing Eli in his AP physics class.

SPS Members Become Tutors for Fall 2022 and spring 2023

SPS members Jacob Lee, Aidan Payton, and Joseph Powell both became more acquainted as they were both hired by the Department of Physics to be Physics Tutors for all 100-200 level classes in both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, while SPS President Eli Williamson tutored for the Fall 2022 semester.

The first Meeting of 2023 (1-27-2023)!

The award-winning Society of Physics Students (SPS) organization had their first meeting of 2023 on January 23rd! The group shared some good refreshments and conversation as they worked to lay out some plans for the semester, with some outreach events starting as early as the upcoming week. Come join SPS for the next meeting if you are interested in outreach/recruitment opportunities with the on and off campus communities. Our next meeting is Monday, February 6 2023 at 12:00 PM (Room 179 Science Building).

 

 

Pinhole Cameras at Davis Creek Elementary School (1-27-2023)!

This past Friday, Marshall University Society of Physics Students helped 3rd grade students in Mrs. Crowder’s class at Davis Creek Elementary create their own pinhole cameras! Students were first given an overview of the pinhole cameras design and an explanation of the science behind the images these cameras produce, then they were let loose to create their own pinhole cameras to take home! Using these newly made cameras, they got to see images inside their classroom as well as images in the surrounding area outside the classroom. With the students in Mrs. Crowder’s 3rd grade classroom learning about light these past few weeks, the demonstration hosted by SPS provided a nice hands-on timely demonstration of light and its fascinating properties. SPS Treasurer Victoria Maynor, Social Media Officer Kolbey Walker, and acting President AJ Messinger were the MU student leaders for the activity. All the supplies for the pinhole cameras were sponsored by the MU Chapter of the Society of Physics Students through the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund. Thanks again to Davis Creek Elementary for letting SPS host this event!

2023 Research Day at the Capitol (2-10-23)!

The 20th annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol was a huge success! Nearly 120 undergraduate participants in total from nine institutions across the state descended on the capitol building in South Charleston, West Virginia, on Friday February 10th 2023 to present their research. AJ Messinger, Society of Physics students Vice President was the lone physics major representing the state of West Virginia. He presented to WV policymakers and other in the audience about his work titled the functionalization of polycarbonate membranes with anionic azo dyes. This is ongoing research aimed at removing textile dyes and other pollutants from water. AJ is conducting this research with his advisor, Dr. Sean P. McBride in the Physics program at Marshall University.

 

 

Pinholes Cameras at Highlawn Elementary School (3-1-2023)!

Recently members from the MU chapter of the Society of Physics Students had the opportunity to work with students from Highlawn Elementary school in Huntington, West Virginia. SPS members were able to host a STEAM centered activity focused for the young participants where they got to build their own pinhole cameras and then were able to take them home after the event. The pinhole camera activity was a big hit with the students! Many thanks to Aidan Payton, SPS member and physics graduate student who ran the event and thanks to Liv Stockwin (SPS Secretary) and Kolbey Walker (SPS Social Media Officer) for making it happen and assisting! They all did an amazing job and this would not have been possible with out their dedication to STEAM outreach and ability to juggle their schedule around to make it happen! All the supplies for the pinhole cameras were sponsored by the MU Chapter of the Society of Physics Students through the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund. Thank you, again to Highlawn Elementary school for the opportunity!

Motor Madness Webster County High School (3-1-2023)!

We got to see some great teamwork yesterday by Webster County HS students when building DC motors in a workshop hosted by the Physics program and the MU chapter of the Society of Physics Students! Students got to take their motors home with them and the winners with the fastest motor received official MU SPS T-shirts. Webster County students learned how magnetic fields and currents interact to produce magnetic forces on current loops. Students used this knowledge to build their motors. Students, please contact Dr. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu) if you have questions about what you did or want to learn more about what a degree in Physics can offer you. SPS Recruitment Officer Peter Burbery was on hand to assist Dr. Sean McBride with the workshop. Thank you Peter and thank you to all Webster County HS students and teachers for visiting Marshall University. All the supplies for the workshop were sponsored by the MU Chapter of the Society of Physics Students through the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund.

Spring 2023 Student Success!

Congratulations to all the students in the Physics program as this spring 2023 semester concludes! All students have done an amazing job this semester with poster presentations, providing short talks at our Physics Convocation Day, delivering capstone presentations, and earning awards and scholarships. Thank you for all your hard work devoted to your major and the physics program! For all those graduating this semester from physics, we wish the best of luck with all your future endeavors! Featured below are SPS members Aidan Payton  (top left with Dr. McBride), Jacob Lee (top right), AJ Messinger (lower right), and Joseph Powell (lower left with Dr. Nguyen). SPS members AJ and Jacob presented at the MU College of Science Research Expo & MU Research and Creativity Symposium! Both also presented at our 2023 Physics Convocation day!

 

 

SPS President Successfully Defends Capstone Project

SPS President Eli Williamson (left) successful presented his physics capstone project titled “Physics and the ‘Fun Factor’ “^[23]. Eli’s presentation was a success and fulfilled the requirement needed for his degree in Secondary Education in Physics. Eli’s research mentor was Dr. Sachiko McBride (next to Eli). This oral presentation done by Eli was also presented at the Marshall University Creativity Symposium on April 7th, 2023.

 

 

 

MU SPS Advisor Nominated for Outstanding Advisor Award in 2022 and 2023

In spring 2023, AJ Messinger, SPS Vice President for spring 2023 and now SPS President for this upcoming year, nominated our hard-working SPS advisor, Dr. Sean P. McBride for the SPS Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award. Dr. McBride was thankful for the nomination and was very appreciative. AJ prepared all the required documentation and forms then submitted them before the March 15th deadline. As a chapter, we believe Dr. McBride is very deserving of this award, as he goes over and beyond for the students here at Marshall University. Without Dr. McBride, we as a chapter would not be as successful as we have been this past year and the years before, we are grateful to have Dr. McBride as our club’s advisor. Dr. McBride’s SPS bio can be read here: Sean P. McBride | Society of Physics Students (spsnational.org). Dr. McBride was the runner up for this award in 2022.

Marshall University’s College of Science hosted the 2023 West Virginia Science Olympiad with Support from the MU SPS Chapter

In March of 2023 110 high school students from eight schools from around the state traveled to the Marshall University Huntington campus to test their scientific knowledge. The Marshall SPS Chapter had a role in assisting during the event itself through either running events as supervisors or helping event supervisors. Those from SPS who helped during the Science Olympiad event were Treasurer Victoria Maynor,  Aidan Payton as well as member Recruitment Officer Peter Burbery. Also present at recruitment was Sigma Epsilon, another student organization that Dr. Sean P. McBride is currently the advisor of. “Science Olympiad is an American team competition in which students compete in 23 events pertaining to various fields of science, including earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Over 7,800 middle school and high school teams from 50 U.S. states compete each year. U.S. territories do not compete; however, since 2012 high school teams from Japan have competed at the national tournament as unranked guests.” ~ Science Olympiad – Wikipedia

Marshall University Science Olympiad and SPS Student Organizations Work Together to Coach the 2023 WV State Championship Science Olympiad Team!

Our SPS chapter also earned a grant from the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium for $2,00 to coach ~15 students on the West Virginia State Championship team for Science Olympiad who belonged to Morgantown high school. This was a joint effort with the Science Olympiad student organization here on campus who also helped with the coaching. Both student organizations helped prepare the high school team members for the 2023 National Science Olympiad Competition. This opportunity for Science Olympiad coaching was made possible by the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium, Grant # 80NSSC20M0055. Vice President AJ Messinger and Recruitment Officer Peter Burbery (along with other students from the MU Science Olympiad student organization) were coaches for this project. Efforts were made to meet weekly with respective groups of students to practice for particular events in the national Science Olympiad competition.

 

SPS Members Participate in New Student Orientation and Recruiting

The society of Physics students participated in New Student Orientation on June 13th and 14th, 2023 ! This portion of the New Student Orientation event packed the lobby of the Memorial Student Center with active student groups and these groups also sprawled out on to the Plaza. All student organizations provided possible opportunities for new students giving them a peek into student life on campus. Nearly half a dozen students showed an interest in either the Society of Physics Students organization or the physics major or minor. Information about the SPS group and the physics major and minor were provided. Thanks SPS members AJ Messinger (Vice president), Kolbey Walker (Social Media, right), Victoria Maynor (Treasurer, middle), and SPS member Jacob Lee (left) for assisting!

Fall 2021 to Spring 2022 Recognitions, Awards, Scholarships, Fellowships Granted to SPS Members!

Eli Williamson (SPS President Fall 2022-Spring 2023)

• Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Secondary Education, Physics 9-Adult and a minor in physics.
• Marshall University Presidents list*, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
• Working as a substitute teacher for Wayne County Schools until employment in a permanent position.

AJ Messinger (SPS Vice President Fall 2022-Spring 2023)

• Marshall University Deans list, Fall 2022 semester.
• Presented with the Outstanding Undergraduate award from the MU Physics Department, spring 2023.
• Presented with the Alva and Dixon Callihan Scholarship/John Marshall Scholarship from the MU Physics Department, spring 2023.
• Presented with the A. Dixon Callihan, Donald C. Martin, and Ralph P. Hron Memorial Physics Scholarship from the MU Physics Department, spring 2023.
• Received Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Research Fellowship from Marshall University SURE program (~$4500).
• Received the NASA WVSGC Undergraduate Research Fellowship Award ($5000).
• When AJ isn’t studying, performing research, or participating in SPS activities, he coaches Elementary School Basketball and High School Football in his local community.

Liv Stockwin (SPS Secretary Fall 2022-Spring 2023)

• Marshall University Presidents list, Fall 2022 Semester.
• Marshall University Dean’s List, Spring 2023 Semester.
• Maier writing award nomination for creative nonfiction.
• Nationally Qualified in the National Forensic Association^[24]
• Qualified in the International Forensics Association^[25].

Victoria Maynor (SPS Treasurer Fall 2022-Spring 2023)

• Marshall University Dean’s List, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
• Outside of SPS activities, Victoria is a registered WVSSAC Volleyball official practicing in the surrounding community.

Kolbey Walker (SPS Social Media Manager Fall 2022-Spring 2023)

• Marshall University dean’s list Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
• In her own spare time, Kolbey volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House 3 hours a week.

Peter Burbery (SPS Recruitment Officer Fall 2022-Spring 2023)

• Marshall University Dean’s List, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 Semester
• Received a proclamation for West Virginia Metric Week from WV governor Jim Justice.

Aidan Payton (SPS Member & MU Graduate Student)

• Aidan Payton Graduated from the MU Physics Graduate program (GS 80) in Spring 2023 with a Master’s Degree in Physics.
• Helped rewrite the lab manual for use in potential PHY 202 classes, PHY 202 is an introduction lab for physics offered by the MU Physics Department.
• Was accepted as a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburg for Physics with a specialization in Physics Education Research (PER), Aidan plans to attend Pitt starting this fall 2023.

Jacob Lee (SPS Member)

• Marshall University Dean’s List, Spring 2023 Semester
• Received the Undergraduate Creative Discovery and Research Scholar Award from Marshall University.
• Received the WV NASA student fellowship award.

Joseph Powell (SPS Member)

• Received Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Research Fellowship from Marshall University SURE program.

Additionally, our SPS Advisor, Dr. Sean P. McBride, earned the Student Success Award from MU. This award recognizes faculty for “making student success a reality”! Nominated by the students with the award being presented by the Provost/Senior VP for Academic Affairs and the Director of the Center for Student Success. Dr. McBride was very happy to receive the recognition and was grateful for the students’ nominations. Our advisor also received promotion and tenure this past spring to Associate Professor.

* The President’s List – for undergraduate students who have a 4.0 Grade Point Average for at least 12 graded hours.

** The Dean’s List – for  undergraduate students who have a 3.3 Grade Point Average for a minimum of 12 graded hours.

SPS Activities by Academic Year

Fall 2021 – Spring 2022
Fall 2020 – Spring 2021
Fall 2019 – Spring 2020
Fall 2018 – Spring 2019
Fall 2017-  Spring 2018

Fundraising

Fundraising is also an important aspect for our SPS group. The money raised will allow the group to tour graduate research programs and/or national research laboratories along with buy supplies for national build competitions if the desire arises.

Current Fundraising 2023-2024: Help support your local Society of Physics Students chapter at Marshall University by purchasing a SPS club T-shirt! T-Shirts are going for $25 a piece. We have sizes from Small to XXL. Sizes on hand are on a first come first serve basis. If we run out of a particular size, we will look into ordering more if there is enough interest. Getting a size larger is recommended to compensate for shrinkage. The shirts are very soft. The shirts have the MU Physics logo on the front right chest area, a Student Government Association logo on the left sleeve, the SPS logo combination on the back and some fun with Maxwell’s equations. We now have an account set-up with PayPal. Anyone who sends money should include the following memo: “(first and last name), ‘T-Shirts,’ (size)”. An example of this would be as follows: Eli Williamson, T-Shirts, Large. Make sure to bring some sort of ID so that we can identify the buyer and give them the proper shirt. To get your hands on one of these, email or stop by Dr. McBride’s office . If you are an Alumni or would like a shirt mailed to you, please email Dr. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu) to work out details on postage costs etc. Here is a direct link to PayPal: https://paypal.me/MUSPS?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US . Money can be sent to @MUSPS on PayPal.

 

 

National Constitution of the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma

The Marshall University Chapter of The Society of Physics Students Bylaws

Some information in the “About The Society of Physics Students, Purpose and Mission, and History” sections are provided by: www.spsnational.org

SPS Webpage maintained by Dr. Sean P. McBride, Faculty Advisor of the Marshall University SPS Chapter. Last updated 6-19-2023.