{"491471":{"#nid":"491471","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Women in Physics Meet in Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EClose to 200 physics college students converged at Georgia Tech for the Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWIP) on Jan. 15-17, 2016. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.aps.org\/programs\/women\/workshops\/cuwip.cfm\u0022\u003ECUWIP\u003C\/a\u003E is a program of the American Physical Society to support the professional growth of undergraduate women in physics. This year marks the first time Georgia Tech hosted the event. In welcoming conference attendees, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E Dean Paul M. Goldbart, who is a physicist, expressed joy in being \u201cwith my people\u2026.People who understand that physics is much more than just another class. It\u2019s a calling, a passion--something that thrills us and excites our hearts, as well as our minds.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoldbart acknowledged that women are still underrepresented in physics, as in many other fields. Yet, he said, the physics community has much to celebrate \u201cin the progress that has been achieved\u201d by women in physics \u201cdespite the people who have willfully stood in the way or who have failed to acknowledge the serious challenges that remain.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipants, including 15 high school students, feasted on scientific talks, poster sessions, and tours of Georgia Tech research facilities. Also on the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cuwip.gatech.edu\/schedule\/\u0022\u003Emenu\u003C\/a\u003E were one-hour workshops covering topics from soft matter physics to dealing with depression. Panel discussions addressed questions such as: Is graduate school right for me? What can I do with a physics degree outside of academia?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong renowned women physicists who gave plenary talks were\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/women.nasa.gov\/ginger-kerrick\/\u0022\u003EGinger Kerrick\u003C\/a\u003E, NASA\u2019s first non-astronaut capsule communicator, responsible for relaying information from NASA mission control to astronaut crews;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.janerigby.net\/\u0022\u003EJane Rigby\u003C\/a\u003E, an astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, public speaker on astronomy, and blogger at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.astrobetter.com\/\u0022\u003EAstroBetter\u003C\/a\u003E;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.emory.edu\/faculty\/roth\/cbr.html\u0022\u003EConnie B. Roth\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor of physics at Emory University who specializes in experimental soft condensed matter physics; and\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/physics.yale.edu\/people\/c-megan-urry\u0022\u003EC. Megan Urry\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor of physics and astronomy at Yale University and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aas.org\/governance\/current-council\u0022\u003Ecurrent president of the American Astronomical Society\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the conference highlights was the dinner talk by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.uh.edu\/class\/ws\/_docs\/Biographies.pdf\u0022\u003ESue Payne\u003C\/a\u003E, recently retired executive from Exxon Mobil Corporation, where she last served as manager of global geoscience. Payne, who earned a B.S. Physics from Georgia Tech, is also a member of the Georgia Tech College of Sciences Advisory Board. She urged participants to\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELet go of the fear of failing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeed your curiosity.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAct with Integrity.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECollaborate, collaborate, collaborate.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPayne also gave a shout-out to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) teachers, saying \u201cwe need many more teachers with math and science degrees, who are then paid much more competitively.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECUWIP also showcased the strength of physics, collaborative research, and interdisciplinary fields at Georgia Tech. The \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E has \u201cwell-recognized groups in the areas of physics we study,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/flavio-fenton\u0022\u003EFlavio H. Fenton\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech associate professor of physics. \u201cWe are unique,\u201d he added, \u201cin having a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/research\/physics-living-systems\u0022\u003EPhysics of Living Systems\u003C\/a\u003E program, which studies dynamics at all length scales, from subcellular to ecological sizes.\u201d Fenton noted that the idea to host CUWIP came from graduate student \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/andrea-welsh\u0022\u003EAndrea J. Welsh\u003C\/a\u003E, now in her fourth year of Ph.D. studies. Chair of the CUWIP organizing committee, she works in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chaos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECHAOS Lab\u003C\/a\u003E (CHAOS = Complex Heart Arrhythmias and Other Oscillating Systems), helping to understand the collective behavior or groups of organisms. \u201cI came to Georgia Tech not only for the research,\u201d Welsh said, but also \u201cbecause the school is very friendly and accommodating.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWelsh recalled that the first CUWIP she attended, at Yale University in 2009, was where she found the most women scientist together in one room. It was an experience she wanted to share with other young women aspiring for careers in science. \u201cEven at Georgia Tech, a decent-sized institute, I am often the only woman in my physics classes,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted students who had never seen parts of themselves in their peers and mentors to be able to, and I think in a small way this conference succeeded in achieving that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe path to equitable representation of women in many aspects of life is bumpy, and conferences such as CUWIP exist partly to make it smooth. \u201cI find myself asking if our goal as a community should be to render meetings like this unnecessary,\u201d Goldbart told the attendees. \u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d he said. \u201cEven when we reach equality of status, perhaps there will remain distinct needs that such meetings can be helpful with.\u201d More importantly, he concluded, it\u2019s really up to women themselves to decide: \u201cIt matters what you think. And it matters that you are heard\u0022.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EClose to 200 physics college students converged at Georgia Tech for the Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWIP) on Jan. 15-17, 2016.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Close to 200 physics college students converged at Georgia Tech for the Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWIP) on Jan. 15-17, 2016."}],"uid":"27570","created_gmt":"2016-01-27 11:14:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:31","author":"Will Rusk","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-01-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-01-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"491481":{"id":"491481","type":"image","title":"CUWiP conference","body":null,"created":"1454009867","gmt_created":"2016-01-28 19:37:47","changed":"1475895248","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:08","alt":"CUWiP conference","file":{"fid":"204457","name":"womeninphysics1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/womeninphysics1_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/womeninphysics1_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":434314,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/womeninphysics1_0.png?itok=Arq-i9Yz"}},"491491":{"id":"491491","type":"image","title":"CUWiP Einstein Statue","body":null,"created":"1454009867","gmt_created":"2016-01-28 19:37:47","changed":"1475895248","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:08","alt":"CUWiP Einstein Statue","file":{"fid":"204458","name":"womeninphysics2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/womeninphysics2_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/womeninphysics2_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":393848,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/womeninphysics2_0.png?itok=xwOgT3go"}}},"media_ids":["491481","491491"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp align=\u0022justify\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Maureen Rouhi\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\u0022justify\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maureen.rouhi@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaureen.rouhi@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\u0022justify\u0022\u003E(404) 385-5207\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}