The Yale University chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) has won an Outstanding Chapter Award from the SPS National Office. This is the second time the chapter has been recognized for its excellence as a top-tier student-led physical sciences organization, a designation given to fewer than 15 percent of all SPS chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and internationally.
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional association designed for students and membership is open to anyone interested in physics and related fields. SPS operates within the American Institute of Physics (AIP), an umbrella organization for professional physical science societies.
The SPS chapter at Yale University is advised by Associate Professor Nikhil Padmanabhan and is led by student officers. The 2021-2022 officers are:
- Dawson Thomas, Physics, ‘23
- Amanda Butler, Astronomy and Physics (Intensive), ‘22
- Agastya Rana, Physics, ‘24
- Lumisa Bista, Astrophysics, ‘24
- Annie Lin, Electrical Engineering, ‘24
- Ryan Bose-Roy, Physics, ‘24
- Wyatt Kremer, Physics, ‘24
- Barkotel Zemenu, Physics, ‘24
- David Saunders, Astrophysics, ‘23
- Richard Li, Physics (Intensive), ‘22
- Maddie Butchko, Physics, ‘24
“We are proud, grateful, and immensely honored to have received national recognition for the Spring 2021 SPS Board’s efforts to have an impactful and positive presence on campus. In this remote semester, the board worked hard to coordinate meaningful social events, coding workshops, prize lectures, and maintain general morale and excitement for physics during these difficult times. Our predecessors have left immense shoes to fill as co-presidents, and we hope to do them proud—we keep their wonderful leadership in mind always, and especially as we head into the new year and upcoming semester.” said Amanda Butler.
The Yale SPS Chapter was recognized as outstanding for its commitment to community-building, academic and professional initiatives, and accessibility in the virtual 2020-21 school year. For the annual Schultz and Tinsley Senior Prize Lectures, SPS hosted Monika Schleier-Smith and Donna Strickland, respectively. SPS facilitated connections between many branches of Yale physics, hosting informal talks and career panels for undergraduates given by graduate students, and maintaining weekly study sessions/virtual game nights. SPS also expanded connections into broader communities virtually, co-hosting the SPS Zone 1 meeting and leading New Haven outreach programs. SPS additionally assisted in initiating the first classes of Sigma Pi Sigma at Yale.
