Get Excited: PhysCon 2019

FEB 01, 2018

Dr. Joshua L. Willis, Co-Chair, 2019 PhysCon Executive Planning Committee, Computational Scientist, Caltech/LIGO and Associate Professor of Engineering and Physics, Abilene Christian University

Dear SPS and ΣΠΣ members,

Author Joshua L. Willlis.

Sigma Pi Sigma’s 2019 Physics Congress (PhysCon) is rapidly approaching. In less than two years, students and Sigma Pi Sigma members will gather in Providence, Rhode Island, to share three days of talks, workshops, and camaraderie. Based on the growth of the last several congresses, we are planning for over 1,500 attendees at the largest undergraduate-centered physics conference in the world.

As those of you who have attended can attest, PhysCon is much more than just a conference. Students and faculty from across the US (and a few foreign countries) will gather to hear exciting speakers, from industry to institutes to academia. We will engage in workshops on careers, learn how to build active chapters and departments, and hear from peers about ways to promote diverse chapters that serve their communities. And, PhysCon is in fact a congress where our undergraduates can have a voice in the priorities and plans of both SPS, ΣΠΣ, and their communities.

For attendees, participating in PhysCon will be a high point in their undergraduate study. PhysCon gives a unique perspective on our community and can provide a new focus for the rest of a student’s career. But even though the size of this meeting has grown, it is still out of reach for many chapters and individuals who would benefit from attending. As you think about ways that you and your chapter can participate in PhysCon, I also ask you to think about contributing to an endowment in support of future ΣΠΣ Congresses. The funds collected are used exclusively to support a PhysCon endowment so that this life-changing event can happen more regularly and support every student who wants to attend, regardless of circumstance. On behalf of the Organizing Committee and the SPS/ΣΠΣ Executive Committee, please consider if you can donate to establish this conference in perpetuity—the cost of a cup of coffee can make this event a reality for everyone!

Learn more and donate at:

Approximately 1,200 attendees filled the ballroom and meeting halls at the Hyatt Regency-San Francisco Airport.

Poster presentations gave students a chance to talk shop with mentors and colleagues. Photos courtesy of American Institute of Physics.