Three-Peat LSU Students Receive Distinguished SPS Chapter Award
LSU Students Receive Distinguished SPS Chapter Award LSU Physics students for the third year in a row earn national SPS honor.
For the third year in a row, the LSU Chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) earned the designation of a 2018-2019 Society of Physics Students Distinguished Chapter 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. LSU SPS combined efforts supported by the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, helped further student development, and strengthened the community.
“I am very grateful for the dedication and passion our LSU SPS members have for the club, department, and community,” said Katherine Dugas, LSU SPS Chapter President. “Receiving this honor three years in a row is truly a testament of our many talented students who genuinely enjoy physics and sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with others. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for LSU SPS.”
The LSU SPS group participates in multiple outreach events throughout the year, including Mini Maker Faire, LSU Geaux Science Explorations, NanoDays, International Astronomy Day, Earth Day, LASM Engineering Day, in addition to visits to middle and high schools for science fairs and similar events.
Members of the SPS National Council commented “Thank you for the time and energy you devote. Your chapter events are exemplary!”
“It is with great pride that the faculty of the Department of Physics & Astronomy congratulate the LSU SPS chapter on earning the Distinguished Chapter designation. The effort put forth by the society members to share their love of the fields of physics and astronomy to the public, particularly with K-12 students is exemplary” said Dr. John DiTusa, chair, LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy. “We believe it is extraordinarily important for our students to share their excitement for these fields with K-12 students. In addition, their work to create a student community within the department is appreciated greatly 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 once again by the national SPS organization for its many initiatives and activities over the past year,” said Dr. J. G. Stacy, LSU SPS faculty advisor. “It was particularly gratifying to see the LSU chapter cited for its many public-outreach activities. This is a well-deserved recognition and a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the LSU SPS officers and student members.”
2018-2019 LSU SPS officers awarded include: President Katherine Dugas, Vice President Braden Warr, Secretary Breona Leonard, Treasurer Chloe DiTusa, Public Relations and Event Coordinator Pablo Rosas, and Webmaster Ian Babin.
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.
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Mimi LaValle
LSU Department of Physics and Astronomy
225-439-5633
mlavall@lsu.edu