Women in Physics is hosting a research symposium to showcase undergraduate women’s physics research and experiments on April 10 in the Student Union.
The symposium is an opportunity for undergraduate women to gain experience presenting research posters, as well as a networking event to find future research opportunities with UNC faculty and professionals in the field.
The club’s co-presidents, Carolyn Liu and Kristy Sakano, organized the symposium with their executive committee as a culmination of an initiative meant to foster support for women in physics after the club received a grant from the American Physical Society for the symposium.
Liu and Sakano hoped the symposium would give women in physics exposure to presenting their research and provide more opportunities to build connections in the field.
“We want to provide them an encouraging environment so they don’t feel alone, so they feel like they have a large support network,” Liu said.
Other events for the club have included poster-making workshops for the symposium, a presentation workshop learning how to present the posters, guest speakers and social events including dinners as a club.
First-years and sophomores especially are the focus for the club because Liu and Sakano want to increase the ratio of women in the physics major and increase retention rates for those women. Starting early helps give students foundational support.
The club's director of outreach, junior Samantha Pagan, said Women in Physics has been key for her involvement with physics at UNC.
“The Women in Physics was really instrumental to me staying in physics," Pagan said. "I just found a lot of support from them as a first-year and second-year."
