Schedule

Friday, April 12

10 AM Conference Check-In and Registration

10:45 AM Buses to NIST

Welcome: Angela Hight Walker, Senior Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology & Donna Hammer, Director of Education, University of Maryland

Welcome Speaker: Janelle Johnson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Office, National Institute of Standards and Technology & Laurie Locascio, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology & NIST Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Lunch Speaker: William D. Phillips, Nobel Laureate, NIST Fellow, Professor of Physics, University of Maryland “New, Quantum SI”

Lab Tours Session 1

Coffee Break with Early Career Staff

Lab Tours Session 2

5 PM Buses to Hotel

6 PM Hotel Check-In

6:45 PM Transport to Physical Science Complex (Hotel Lobby)

7 PM Banquet Dinner Speaker (Physical Science Complex): Julianne M. Pollard-Larkin, PhD, Associate Professor, Section Chief of Thoracic Service, Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center “Physics Needs You: How to Use Your Adversity as Your Superpower”

Saturday, April 13

8 AM Welcome Breakfast & Check-In (Patuxent Room)

8:30 AM Overview (Patuxent Room): Donna Hammer, Director of Education, University of Maryland & Angela Hight Walker, Senior Scientist, National Institute of Science and Technology

8:45 AM Welcome Speaker (Patuxent Room): Steve Rolston, Professor of Physics & Physics Department Chair, University of Maryland

9 AM Plenary Speaker (Patuxent Room):  S. James Gates, Professor of Physics, Clark Leadership Chair in Science, College Park Distinguished University Professor, and Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland

Introduced by Delilah Gates, Postdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University

10 AM Panel Sessions (Pick Two):

  • Keys to Success In Physics (Room 2110)
    • Arlene Modeste Knowles, TEAM-UP Diversity Project Manager, American Institute of Physics
    • Sarah Monk, Membership Recruitment & Retention Manager, American Physical Society
    • Willie Rockward, Professor of Physics & Engineering, Morgan State University
    • Brian Clark, Professor of Physics, University of Maryland
    • Jonathan Canales (Moderator) Graduate Student, University of Maryland
  • Applying to Grad School & Graduate Student Life (Room 2111)
    • Kelin Kelcourse-Oquendo, Transformational Physicist, Northrop Grumman
    • Steve Rolston, Physics Department Chair, University of Maryland
    • Kayla Rodriguez, Graduate Student, University of Maryland
    • Tabbetha Dobbins, Dean of Graduate Studies, Rowan University
    • Prabhakar Misra, Professor of Physics, APS Fellow, Howard University
    • Jaid Moore (Moderator) Graduate Student, University of Maryland
  • Where Your Physics Degree Can Take You (Room 2112)
    • Evan Donohue, Associate Transformational Physicist, Northrop Grumman
    • Maia Adams, Software Engineer, Lockheed Martin
    • Selma Solera-Corbin, Mathematics Department Chair, St. John’s College High School
    • LaNell Williams, Postdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University
    • Amber McCreary (Moderator) Senior Principal Physicist, Northrop Grumman
  • Research Experience & Internships (Patuxent Room)
    • Keith Hillaire, Principal Transformational Physicist, Northrop Grumman
    • Daniel Serrano, Senior Faculty Specialist, University of Maryland
    • Alejandro Cardenas-Avendano, Postdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University
    • Angela Hight Walker, Senior Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
    • Megan Marshall Smith (Moderator) Professor, Hamilton College

12 PM Lunch Speaker (Patuxent Room): Willie Rockward, Chair and Professor of Physics & Engineering, Morgan State University “Through Physics All Things are Possible”

Introduced by Donna Hammer, Director of Education, University of Maryland

1:30 PM Group Photo

2 PM Flash Talks & Career Chats (Patuxent Room)

Introduced by Angel Torres, Outreach Coordinator, University of Maryland

This exciting session with professionals from academia, government, and industry begins with inspiring flash talks followed by informal individual and small group discussions. Chats will include answering questions and sharing academic and career journeys, as well as tips on how to be competitive in diverse fields.

  • Flash Talk Speakers
    • Brian Clark, Professor of Physics, University of Maryland
    • Amethyst Barnes, Postbaccalaureate Researcher, NASA Goddard
    • Alejandro Cardenas-Avendano, Postdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University
    • Amber McCreary, Senior Principal Physicist, Northrop Grumman

4 PM Poster Session & Reception (Room 2115)

  • Poster Judges
    • Jaid Moore, Graduate Student, University of Maryland
    • Jonathan Canales, Graduate Student, University of Maryland
    • LaNell Williams, Postdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University
    • Aaron Sternbach, Professor of Physics, University of Maryland
    • Lisa Fronczek, Electronics Engineer & Manufacturing Associate, National Institute of Standards and Technology

6 PM Banquet Dinner & Speaker (Patuxent Room): Efrain Rodriguez, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Affiliate Professor of Physics, Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, University of Maryland “Breaking Barriers and Exploring Frontiers: Quantum Materials at the Interface of Physics and Chemistry”

8 PM Karaoke Night Hosted by the University of Maryland’s Society of Physics Students

Sunday, April 14

8:15 AM Breakfast and Overview (Patuxent Room)

9:30 AM Transport to PSC (Hotel Lobby)

10 AM UMD Physics Department Lab Tours (Physical Science Complex)

  • Laboratory for Intense Laser Matter Interactions – Lab Tour Leader Gregory Babić, Graduate Student
    • PI Howard Milchberg
  • Quantum Simulation with Ultracold Atoms – Lab Tour Leader Yanda Geng, Graduate Student
    • PI Gretchen Campbell
    • PI Ian Spielman
  • Schine Group – Lab Tour Leader Kayla Rodriguez, Graduate Student
    • PI Nathan Schine
  • Losert Lab – Lab Tour Leader Sylvester Gates, Graduate Student
    • PI Wolfgang Losert

12 PM Physics is Phun Lunch (Patuxent Room)

1:15 PM Intensive Workshops:

  • Introduction to Machine Learning with Python – Dhruv Srinivasan, Undergraduate Student, University of Maryland

In this workshop, you’ll be using Python and its essential libraries to build a simple machine-learning model that can identify images of numbers! No prior experience is expected nor required to attend.

Please bring a laptop.

  • Embracing Intersectionality – Delilah Gates, Postdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University

Science is often lauded as an enterprise in which all people are free to participate and advance collective knowledge. But all one has to do is look around a scientific classroom/lab to see that factors like gender, race, and socioeconomic class play a huge role. In this workshop, we will discuss strategies for handling and thriving in these scientific settings and how we can work to make them more equitable and inclusive.

  • Soldering Skills – Angel Torres, Outreach Coordinator, University of Maryland

Soldering is a sought-after skill in industry, research, and government alike. This hands-on workshop includes beginner and advanced activities to match participant’s skill levels. Learn and practice your soldering skills to benefit your future career. All materials will be supplied.

  • LinkedIn – Josh Henkin, CEO & Founder, STEM Career Services

Networking is the primary way people build relationships to learn about unadvertised career opportunities, get their foot in the door at a company, and grow their professional contacts. LinkedIn is a fantastic tool to accomplish all these goals. LinkedIn is, by far, the most popular social media platform used by professionals in the workforce to network, as well as recruiters looking to fill open positions. Learning how to create and present an impressive LinkedIn profile is essential for building relationships, developing a professional network, establishing your brand and thought leadership, identifying meaningful professional collaborations, and finding new career opportunities.

  • Science Policy – Emma Kleiner, Postbaccalaureate Researcher, NASA Goddard and Ruthie Vogel, Undergraduate Student, University of Maryland

Engage in an interactive session regarding science innovations and key science policy areas. Following a brief overview of current science policy issues, the workshop will offer an opportunity to participate in the inner workings of science policy from the position of various stakeholders.