You are SPS: Forming the 2025 Physics and Astronomy Congress

Description: Every Physics and Astronomy Congress, students from across the globe come together to examine the current state of the field, discuss our successes and areas of concern, and decide how collectively we can impact the future of physics and astronomy. Join us as we meet new friends, learn from each other, and help decide on how SPS should evolve in the future. You’ll meet your regional and national leaders of SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma and make new friends along the way! This workshop will be lead by Drs. Blane Baker, Brad Conrad, Alejandro de la Puente, Kiril Streletzky, and the entire SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma Council.
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 4:45 pm – 6:15 pm

Renee Horton: Unapologetically Being

Description : Join us as Dr. K. Renee Horton leads an amazing workshop focused on learning about you, supporting your future self, and how you can unapologetically be yourself in physics and astronomy.
Date: Friday October 31, 2025
Time: 5:15 - 6:45 pm

Faculty Workshop: Student Leadership Development

Description: Join us as we have faculty leaders from across SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma lead faculty through effective practices on how to develop, maintain, and enhance student leadership within departments and student groups.
Date: Friday October 31, 2025
Time: 5:15 pm – 6:45 pm

Ask SPS Leadership Anything

Description: Advisors, chairs, and other faculty members… Have you ever wished to have the chance to hear directly from the volunteer and professional leaders of SPS/Sigma Pi Sigma? Have a question that you’ve been dying to ask? Well this is you chance to hear their thoughts on SPS/Sigma Pi Sigma programs, events, and priorities.
Date: Friday October 31, 2025
Time: 5:15 pm – 6:45 pm

Breakout Session #1: Friday October 31, 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Breakout Session #2: Saturday November 1, 2025 from 4:15 – 5:45 pm

All workshops will repeat in both sessions except “Faculty panel: Secrets from recent chapter adviser winners”.

Science Outreach: Impact your community

Description: Join us as we examine how to start, setup, and maintain an outreach program which inspires students of all ages. You’ll leave with pragmatics tools and a plan on how to get started at your institution.

Physics for Humans – Applying Physics to Invention and Innovation

Description: Come see how physics and practical knowledge rise to the challenge of inventing new ways to address human needs and aspirations. In areas like energy, health care, agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and communications – and even music, sports, and retail – you and student colleagues will conceive of fascinating new approaches to improve human well-being. This will even stimulate the desire to advance the frontiers and methods of physics and astronomy as you draw upon fields like optics, nanotechnology, sensing & detection, materials physics, etc. Begin a journey of physics and innovation that may last well beyond the conference!

Looking Good on Paper!

Description: This workshop will facilitate and introduce the Congress attendees (Undergraduate Students) to develop and build their resumes for various career opportunities. Some of the awesome tools will be introduced during the workshop such as (i) SPS Careers Toolbox (ii) APS Career Mentoring and Resume building support mechanisms and (iii) SPS/AIP Internship, REU and other career openings for Summer Research. Undergraduate students can be assisted with workshop facilitators and other workshop volunteers in real-time to build the resume based on the data available and receive first-hand information about how to build their resume brick-by-brick during the four years degree program.

Panel: Careers in Industry and Advanced Manufacturing

Description: Most physics and astronomy students work in the private sector after graduation. Hear from those in field and workforce experts about careers outside of academia. Attendees will learn about technical careers in the private sector, how to find and excel in jobs outside of academia, and where your physics/astronomy can take you within industry and advanced manufacturing.

Hidden Histories: Improving Visibility of Physicists and Astronomers on Wikipedia

Description: Wikipedia is the world’s largest online encyclopedia, and it is often the first stop when people want to learn about the lives of historical and current scientists. Unfortunately, women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals are underrepresented among Wikipedia’s biographies of scientists. In this Wikipedia editing festival, attendees will come together to create and edit scientists’ biographies and scientific theme pages. This editing festival will help correct Wikipedia’s bias and improve the visibility of a diverse array of scientists. All levels of experience with editing Wikipedia are welcome.

Panel: Careers in energy, climate, and sustainability

Description: Climate change is one of the biggest challenges for our future. Hear from those in field and workforce experts about careers in energy, climate, sustainability, and related areas. Attendees will learn about technical careers in the public and private sectors, how to find and excel in jobs outside of academia, and where your physics/astronomy can take you within industry and national labs.

Panel: Careers in optics, robotics, and electronics

Description: This is a panel discussion from industry experts who have chosen careers in optics and electronics. Hear from those in field and workforce experts about careers in optics, robotics, electronics, and related areas. Attendees will learn about technical careers in the public and private sectors, how to find and excel in jobs outside of academia, and where your physics/astronomy can take you within industry, national labs, and advanced manufacturing.

Panel discussion on careers in medical physics

Description: This is a panel discussion from industry experts who have chosen careers in medical physics. Attendees will learn about technical careers in the public and private sectors, how to find and excel in jobs outside of academia, and where your physics/astronomy can take you.

Audience-Centered Science Communication

Description: Are you passionate about sharing science with others? This hands-on workshop will help you transform that enthusiasm into effective science communication. We’ll dive deep into the world of experiments and explanations, exploring how to meet your audience where they are, challenges to clarity, and tools for taking your skills to the next level. We’ll also touch on the variety of career opportunities in science communication.

TEAM-UP x SPS Workshop

Description: Interested in supporting your African American physics and astronomy peers? Would you like to be an agent of change in improving equity, inclusion, and belonging in your department? Sign up for a workshop designed to introduce undergraduate students to resources and concepts that may empower them as departmental change agents toward the implementation and realization of the AIP TEAM-UP report goals to increase African American bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy. There are a limited number of seats for this event.

Resonance: Connecting Your Creativity to Physics Through Music, Motion, and Art

Description: Learn about why Physics (and astronomy) connect so strongly to music, motion, and art. Attendees will play at the intersection of physics and art through this interactive workshop.

Faculty: Chapter research and development workshop

Description: Learn from SPS leaders about how to encourage, foster, and develop chapter research projects and programs.

Be a shark

Description: In this workshop, congress participants will channel their inner shark to explore taking control over their career pathways and how to overcome hurdles. Participants will learn how to actually network and how to use their own sharkiness to innovate, have fun, and take their physics career to the next level.

Graduate student panel on physics and astronomy pathways

Description: In this panel, students will meet graduate school students in physics and astronomy. Students will learn the secret sauce to getting into graduate school, what graduate school is like in physics and available opportunities.

Graduate student panel on engineering pathways

Description: In this panel, students will meet graduate school students in engineering. Students will learn the secret sauce to getting into graduate school, what graduate school is like in engineering, and available opportunities

Panel: Careers at national labs

Description: Lots of physics and astronomy students end up at national labs! Attendees will learn about technical careers in the public sector, how to find and excel in jobs outside of academia, and where your physics/astronomy can take you at national labs (and similar types of organizations).

Faculty panel: Secrets from recent chapter adviser winners

Description: In this workshop, faculty members will meet with recent chapter adviser winners and learn about their secrets to success.