UC Davis undergraduate students organize a local physics conference in lieu of annual Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities event
By EKATERINA MEDVEDEVA— science@theaggie.org
In response to an unforeseen cancellation of the annual American Physical Society Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (APS CU*iP) at UC Davis, undergraduate students at the Women and Gender Minorities in Physics Club (WiP+) took the initiative to organize a local physics conference, welcoming students and speakers from UC Davis and the greater Sacramento area.
“WiP+ was originally planning to help out with [APS] CU*iP, but it got cancelled for our region,” Conference Lead Lynsey Hsieh, a third-year physics major, said. “People were still interested, [so] a vision to create a conference was born.”
The event, set to take place on Feb. 7, 2026 at Roessler hall, will feature talks by UC Davis Physics alumni, industry and graduate school workshops, Crocker Nuclear Laboratory tours, an undergraduate poster session and more. The conference aims to provide an opportunity for learning about physics and, more generally, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduates of all backgrounds to network and explore the numerous paths in physics.
The conference will spotlight student research, ranging from condensed matter to astrophysics, as well as talks about navigating non-traditional career paths in physics and managing the challenging aspects of being in the field.
The conference committee leads and volunteers highlighted “building a sense of belonging to the community” as one of the principal objectives of the event.
“I think the goal of the conference is to make the physics community feel more welcoming,” Evelyn Pizer, a fourth-year physics major and poster committee lead, said. “I want every attendee to walk away from the conference with something interesting that they learned — something that resonated with them — and to have made a new friend.”
Ann Leker Wallace, a third-year atmospheric science and physics double major and merchandising and outreach lead, echoed this sentiment.
“I hope that students come out feeling like they have a space in the community, which is something I struggled with coming into physics,” Wallace said.
The conference leads also emphasized that, unlike many other department events which may seem restricting — such as seminars and colloquia — this conference is a low-stakes way to get involved in the community and research; one that is tailored specifically for undergraduates starting out their STEM journey.
“It will be a great opportunity to meet new friends in the department, connect with professors, interact with graduate students and maybe even find some research you want to get involved in,” Melissa Rosowsky, a fourth-year physics major and workshop committee lead, said. “It is also meant to be a low-stakes way to present research [and] practice networking within a community. Talking to professors or other people further along in their career than you are can feel quite intimidating, and we want to break that stigma by building skills together.”
Several committee members who attended the APS CU*iP in the years prior said that they found the experience to be one of the most empowering in their physics careers, inspiring them to bring the opportunity back to their community despite the challenges that organizing such an event poses.
“It has been difficult at times with scheduling and compromising, but overall, I liked collaborating with my peers and professors to put this conference together,” Pizer said. “It has been a very uplifting experience, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.”
Lucian Angle, a fourth-year physics major who volunteers in budgeting the funds and organizing the catering, further elaborated on the conference.
“What is exciting about [the conference] is that undergrads are doing this,” Angle said. “This is not an official thing under UC Davis, but more of a small-scale effort by a dozen dedicated students putting their time and thought into it.”
During the conference, the attendees who signed up will be provided with a free lunch. At the end of the day, there will also be time allocated to social events to foster conversation and connections.
The conference is held with support from the Physics and Astronomy Club at UC Davis, as well as members of the Physics and Astronomy Department faculty and student volunteers. Liz Santillan, a fourth-year physics major in charge of leading communications with prospective keynote speakers, highlighted the instrumental role that faculty played in the initial stages of organizing the conference.
“Professors Robin Erbacher, Matthew Citron and Shirley Chiang helped us a lot during the planning stage in narrowing down the rough draft, and Professor Lloyd Knox offered guidance with resources and choosing speakers,” Santillan said.
Rosowsky hopes that students will remember the conference for years to come, and that it will serve as a positive landmark for their continuing interest in the field of physics.
“I want to truly thank all of the student volunteers, committee leads and faculty who have been working to make this conference a success,” Rosowsky said. “I hope the conference, though it’s just one day, will have a lasting impact on people’s experience in physics and adjacent fields.”
For more information about the conference, visit their official website.
Written by: Ekaterina Medvedeva — science@theaggie.org
