LSU Students Receive Distinguished SPS Chapter Award

The LSU Chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) received the 2016-2017 Distinguished Chapter Award from the national office of the SPS within the American Institute of Physics. SPS is an organization for students interested in the fields of physics and astronomy. Their primary purpose is to promote the appreciation and advancement of physics and astronomy in the community, as well as to further educate members in these fields.

The LSU SPS group participates in multiple outreach events throughout the year, including Mini Maker Faire, NanoDays, International Astronomy Day, Earth Day, LASM Engineering Day, in addition to visits to middle and high schools for science fairs and similar events.

 “The faculty of the Department of Physics & Astronomy are very proud of the students of the LSU chapter of the SPS for their efforts to share their love of the fields of physics and astronomy to the public, particularly with K-12 students,” said Dr. John DiTusa, chair, LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy. “We believe it is extraordinarily important for these young students to be exposed to students who embrace the challenge and excitement in STEM. In addition, their work to create a community of students within the department is very much appreciated by the faculty as we believe that the learning community they have created benefits all of our students. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement!”

An important recruitment activity that the LSU SPS chapter initiated is the physics mentor/mentee program. LSU SPS assigns a junior or senior physics student to each freshman and sophomore student seeking a mentor, based on similar interests. The pairs are then encouraged to associate with each other, and the mentor is available to offer the mentee scheduling advice and answer questions pertaining to life as a physics major.

“We are extremely pleased that the LSU SPS chapter has been recognized by the national SPS organization for its many initiatives and activities over the past year,” said Dr. J. G. Stacy, LSU SPS faculty advisor. “This a well-deserved recognition and a tribute to the hard work and resourcefulness of the LSU SPS officers and student members.”

2016-2017 LSU SPS officers awarded include: President Simon Lorenzo, Vice President Margarite Laborde, Secretary Margaret Carey, Treasurer Benjamin Box, Public Relations Coordinator Rory Bentley, Event Coordinator Rebecca DiTusa, and Webmaster Dylan Ottea.

SPS Distinguished Chapter Awards are determined each academic year after a careful review of the information, photos and supporting material presented in the annual SPS Chapter Reports. The reviewers include a team of four SPS National Council members, including Zone Councilors and Associate Zone Councilors, as well as the national SPS office staff. 

Criteria for SPS Chapter recognition in each zone include: 

·       The chapter's involvement in local, zone and national SPS meetings and other professional                  meetings

·       Participation in SPS programs

·       Outreach efforts to the grades K-12 or the general public

·       Participation in community service

·       Contributions to student recruitment and retention

·       Participation in social events, and

·       Interactions with the department's alumni

 

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