CONWAY, Ark. (February 11, 2016) – The Hendrix College Society of Physics Students (SPS) was recently named a Distinguished SPS chapter for 2014-15 by the SPS National Council.
Selection is based on an assessment of the depth and breadth of activities conducted by the Hendrix chapter.
“Our SPS chapter provides an extremely valuable resource for building a sense of community in our department. The faculty and the students enjoy interacting outside of the classroom,” said Hendrix physics professor Dr. Ann Wright, who serves as faculty advisor for the student
organization. “It is also a way for potential physics majors to really interact with us to see if physics is a good fit for them.”
The 2014-15 Hendrix SPS officers include Konstantin Gruenwald ‘15 (president), Tessa Cook ‘15 (vice president), Emily Nichols ‘16 (treasurer), Grant Nunn ‘15 (co-secretary), and Anna Pittman ‘15 (co-secretary).
Nichols, who is this year’s club president, deserves special recognition for writing the annual report that was responsible for the chapter’s achievement, said Wright. This year’s Hendrix SPS officers also include Travis Howk ’17 (vice president), Devon
Roell ’17 (treasurer), and Vincent Sabourin ’16 (secretary).
Among the organizations activities were:
- Recruiting new members at the student activity fair
- Co-hosting a big beginning-of-the-year picnic with other science clubs
- A Rube Goldberg competition
- Hosting a research discussion of the Physics Department professors in order for them to recruit student workers
- Held a physics trivia night for members and their friends
- Hosted an engineering graduate school discussion by recent Hendrix alumnus Michael Malick
- Arranged a two-part Cosmology lecture with visiting professor Dr. Savan Kharel
- Organized a seismology research talk given by John Meredith ’11
- Represented the physics department at the Major’s Fair
- Worked with Dr. Richard Rolleigh to organize the General Relativity topics class for the spring
- Worked with Dr. Savan Kharel to organize an independent study course on Quantum Field Theory
- Two members presented research at the American Physical Society conference in Baltimore, Maryland
- Dr. Wright and Hendrix SPS members Mary Claire Rizzardi ’18, Emily Nichols ’16, and Anna Pittman ’15 attended the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Ole Miss
About
The Society of Physics Students (SPS)
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional association explicitly designed for students. Membership, through collegiate chapters, is open to anyone interested in physics, and members include majors in chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology,
mathematics, medicine, and other fields. For more information, visit
https://www.spsnational.org.
About
Hendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1876 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884, Hendrix is featured in Colleges
That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges and is nationally recognized in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings for academic quality, community, innovation, and value. For more information, visit
www.hendrix.edu.