Society of Physics Students

2024-2025 SPS T-shirts on sale now, scroll to the very bottom for details!

About The Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma

The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional association open to anyone interested in physics. One does not have to be a Physics Major to be a member. At the global level, SPS members include not only physics majors, but also students and professionals in astronomy, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, mathematics, medicine, and other fields. Within SPS is a separate association, Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ). Sigma Pi Sigma is the national physics and astronomy honor society, which elects members on the basis of outstanding academic achievements. Induction into Sigma Pi Sigma shall be based upon character and academic and professional attainments and is not restricted to physics majors. The Marshall University Chapter of SPS celebrated the 100th Birthday of ΣΠΣ in the spring 2022 semester when a celebration could occur face-to-face. A presentation on the history of both the Marshall University chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma and the Marshall University chapter of the Society of Physics Students, illustrating who were the key players in their development, was provided. That presentation with hyperlinks is available here (provided by Faculty SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma Advisor, Dr. Sean P. McBride, 2017-present): Marshall University SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma Chapters

History

The Society of Physics Students was formed in 1968 with a constitution that combined its two “parent” organizations, The American Institute of Physics (AIP) Student Sections and the Sigma Pi Sigma honor society. SPS now has over 850 chapters on campuses across the country. The associated honor society, Sigma Pi Sigma, now exists in about 600 of those chapters with over 100,000 inductees throughout its history. Marshall University’s Society of Physics Students has roots that extend back to 1960 when the AIP first recognized an AIP student Section from, then, Marshall College under Physics Department Chair Dr. Donald C. Martin. Marshall College was elevated to Marshall University in 1961 under the advisement of Dr. Stewart H. Smith, the seventh and longest serving Marshall University President in the history of the institution. Marshall University established its Sigma Pi Sigma Chapter in 2008 under the advisement of Dr. Ralph E. Oberly (Marshall Physics Professor for 49 years from 1970-2019 and Chair of the Physics Department to follow after Dr. Martin).

Purpose and Mission

SPS is a chapter-based society that exists to help students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community. Traditional coursework develops only one range of skills. Other skills needed to flourish professionally include effective communication and personal interactions, leadership experience, establishing a personal network of contacts, presenting scholarly work in professional meetings and journals, research experiences, and outreach services to the campus and local communities. Through its members, advisers, chapters, and leadership, SPS enables national initiatives and local impacts within the community. Locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, the SPS offers the opportunity for these important enrichments to the student’s experience.

SPS at Marshall is a Nationally Recognized Student Organization

Marshall University’s SPS Organization has been nationally recognized the last six consecutive academic years by the National SPS Office. When you see a student member of the Society of Physics Students, make sure to congratulate them on earning the title of a Distinguished Society of Physics Student Chapter for the 17-19 academic years and an Outstanding SPS Chapter award for the 2019-2023 academic years! A Society of Physics Students Outstanding Chapter award is the highest level of distinction given to SPS chapters and is received by less than 12% of top chapters annually, with just 96 of 844 chapters honored in the 2020 year, 80 of 844 chapters honored in 2021, 86 of 844 chapters honored in 2022, and similar ratios in later years. The Distinguished Chapter awards prior, put the group in the top 22% of all SPS chapters during that time. “We at the SPS National Office want to take this opportunity to commend and applaud you for your tireless efforts to enrich the SPS community. It is because of your dedication and commitment to the SPS mission and vision that we are able to foster such a strong SPS community” – Brad R. Conrad, Ph.D., former Director, Society of Physics Students & Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ).​

The Marshall University Chapter of the Society of Physics Students

Here at Marshall, during the above award years, the make-up of the SPS organization has fluctuated from being mostly comprised of physics majors to only having a few physics majors; the group is always looking to recruit from other majors, especially those in science education or STEM related fields. The main objective of SPS at Marshall is to have fun as a group. We encourage interested students in the sciences, and physics in particularly, to develop and grow in their knowledge base of science and physics related research, develop a strong collegiate bond between faculty and students, promote public interest and awareness in science in general and specifically physics, and recognize high levels of student achievements by means of a Sigma Pi Sigma induction.

Since fall 2019, decided by the then current SPS members and continued until now, it was decided that SPS would be more of an outreach and recruiting student organization for those in the Physics Department/program who are involved in outreach or assisting with the SPS  group’s own outreach activities that they devise. In spring 2020, through Fall 2021, many of the planned outreach events were cancelled due to COVID; however, SPS students were still able to conduct virtual outreach and promote physics and the department via their virtual Faces of Physics speaker Series and virtual Science Olympiad Coaching (more details for both in the links below). The SPS group does have interests in fundraising activities in an effort to save money to go on a fun/cool/educational trip at the end of either the semester or academic year depending on how much money is raised and available. At the end of every semester would be ideal for a trip. This trip could be to a national lab/school/graduate program/etc. An additional goal for SPS will also be networking for the students for future employment; so, meetings will likely host speakers from academia and industry.

• Check us out on Herdlink
• Also, check out the Marshall Physics Facebook Page
• Here is our Digital Brochure: Marshall University SPS

Want to Become a SPS Member at Marshall University?

If you want get involved in SPS and become a member, contact Dr. Sean P. McBride, current SPS faculty advisor as of August 2017 (mcbrides@marshall.edu) or go to one of the SPS meetings. Bring a friend. If you really want to get involved in SPS and have a leadership role as a SPS member, which looks great on resumes for grad school or employment, you are encouraged you to apply for an officer position. Meeting times and locations change each semester, contact Dr. McBride for the most current information. All majors and all academic ranks from freshmen to graduate students are welcome to attend meetings and join the club!

Current Student Officers Elected Post Spring 2024:

Liv Stockwin (President)
Darby McGinnis (Vice President)
Will Youther (Secretary)
Sydney Moore (Treasurer)
Lauren Shoemaker (Social Media)

SPS Advisor:          Dr. Sean P. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu), Associate Professor, Physics Program

• The following link will allow you to register to become an official member: Join SPS National | Society of Physics Students
• Membership dues are only $24 per year (costs may be covered by the local SPS endowment funds, talk to Dr. McBride, see below).
• Memberships will be covered according the Marshall University SPS Chapter bylaws if members are active over the membership year in which they purchased.

Marshall Physics Department and National SPS Scholarships and Awards Available!

Visit the Marshall Physics Scholarship Page for all scholarships available to current Marshall students and ones specifically for current Marshall physics students, including ones available for SPS members. Explore an in-depth presentation of the benefits of being an SPS member. Find information on national SPS deadlines for awards and scholarships.

Marshall University SPS Chapter Article Contributions to ‘The SPS Observer’

“The SPS Observer is the quarterly magazine of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) published by SPS and the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Four issues are mailed each academic year: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Subscriptions are included in your SPS national membership dues. Each issue contains interesting feature articles, advice from experienced voices, chapter interactions and activities, physics problems, society news, announcements, and meeting notes from SPS reporters. ~ About The SPS Observer | Society of Physics Students (spsnational.org)” Over the years the SPS advisor, student officers, and members have contributed three articles to the nationally in print distributed magazine.

• Winter 2019 – A Week of Physics “Phun” at Marshall University
• Spring 2021 – Faces of Physics: Campus Event Turned Virtual Speaker Series
• Fall 2021 – Coaching West Virginia’s Top Science Olympiad Team for Nationals
• Winter 2024 – Teaching Students to make Cameras from Scratch

Virtual Speaker Series Hosted by SPS (November 2020 through spring 2023, restarting in Fall 2024 sponsored by NASA)

The Faces of STEM Speaker Series started out as the Faces of Physics Speakers Series. The series has evolved with time to include more diversity in speaker fields, not just physics, reflecting our own diversity and interests within the SPS chapter here at Marshall. One does not need to be a physics major to be a member of SPS. In line with the aim of the original series, the Faces of STEM Speaker Series highlights the work of researchers from underrepresented groups to promote inclusion and inspire the next generation of scientists to see a place for themselves in exciting STEM fields. The original Series was hosted and developed by the Marshall University Chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and has been funded over the years by the MU SPS Chapter, The American Institute of Physics, and The NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium. For fall 2024, The NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium is supporting the speaker series. The Series ideally is to be run at a pace of one talk per month during the academic year. Each month during the regular academic semesters, a guest speaker will give a ~ 45-minute talk on their current research, followed by a Q&A session with attendees. The talks will be held virtually through YouTube Live and are free and open to the public and will be appropriate for all ages. To stay up to date on information pertaining to the event, sign up for the mailing list below or follow Marshall University Physics on Facebook www.facebook.com/MUPhysicsDept 

Click the following link to receive information about the Society of Physics Students upcoming speaker series: https://forms.gle/3tjMMBo81sHjwmTb7

This speaker’s series started out as a single event planned on campus and partially funded via the Future Faces of Physics Award for spring 2020 from the National SPS Office (American Institute of Physics), but COVID-19 had other plans and it was radically transformed for fall 2020. The story of how this single Campus Event Turned Virtual Speaker Series is featured in the Spring 2021 edition of The SPS Observer. The SPS Observer is the quarterly magazine of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) published by SPS and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and is distributed nationally.

Previous Virtual Speakers and Links to Their Videos (click on speaker name for their bio and or supporting info):

Prof. Aldo Humberto Romero – Can we really Design Materials from Scratch, February 27th @ 7:00 PM EST (USA), 2023, Romero on YouTube

Dr. Yasu Okumura – Higgs? Vacuum? Symmetry? Let’s reveal the mysteries of the universe with LHC!, December 1st @ 3:00 PM EST (USA), 2022,  Okumura on YouTube

Ellie White, Sarah Olivera, and Victoria Catlett – Journeys to the Green Bank Observatory – November 3rd @ 7:00 PM, 2022, White, Olivera, and Catlett on YouTube

Dr. Tina Cartwright –  Career Trajectories and Pluto (?), Saturday, April 21st, 2022, 6:30 pm ET. Cartwright on YouTube

Dr. Cheng Cen – Quantum Phases on Demand, Department of Physics and Astronomy at West Virginia University, Friday, March 25th, 2022, 7 pm ET.  Cen on YouTube

Dr. Natasha G. Holmes – The Trouble with Traditional Physics Labs, Department of Physics at Cornell University, Friday, February 25th, 2022, 4-5pm ET. Holmes on YouTube

Emily Sutherland – Undergraduate Student to Doctoral Candidate: A Marshall Alumna’s Perspective, Physics PhD candidate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, December 2, 2021, 7 p.m. Sutherland on YouTube

Links to previous speaker’s biographies and links to theirs talks can be found here.

Marshall University SPS Receives a $25,000 Endowment + $3,000 in Fluid Funds for Activities

Established June 7th 2021 – This endowment and fund were made possible by the very kind, generous, and patient Dr. Frederick W. Smith.

Dr. Frederick W. Smith grew up in Huntington, West Virginia. He is the son of a former Marshall University President [1946-1968], Stewart H. Smith. In 1960, he graduated from Marshall High School (which was then on the Marshall College campus, currently now the Education Building housing the College of Education and Professional Development) and then pursued a B.A. degree in physics from Lehigh University and graduated in 1964. He then went on to Brown University and graduated with a PhD in solid state physics in 1969. After a postdoc at Rutgers University, he joined the faculty of the Physics Department of the City College of the City University of New York in 1970. There he had a 43-year long career as a physicist teaching and conducting experimental research in solid state physics and materials science. He is coauthor with Prof. Joel Gersten on the textbook “The Physics and Chemistry of Materials” and is an author of over 80 publications.

Dr. Smith read about the activities of the SPS chapter at Marshall in the Marshall Alumni Bulletin in January 2021 and wanted to contribute to the activities of the physics students. He wanted advice on what are some of the needs of the SPS students. The Society of Physics Students Fund for the Marshall University Chapter of SPS was established 6 months later in June 2021. Dr. Frederick W. Smith committed to establishing a $25,000 endowment for the Marshall University Society of Physics Students for use in SPS events and activities. This translates to the SPS chapter having access to roughly $500 a semester from this endowment after maturing. An additional fluid $3,000 has been provided to assist with activities. The establishment of this fund will enable SPS to further increase their impact on our local on and off campus communities and will increase exciting professional growth opportunities for Marshall’s physics majors as well.

As a result of the establishment of this endowed Fund by Dr. Smith, it is the hope that all physics majors at Marshall University will also be SPS members; therefore, both the SPS group will remain strong for generations to come and all the physics majors will benefit from this Fund. The Fund has been specifically established to be for the activities carried out by the SPS members. The students in the Marshall University SPS group are to decide how the funds are to be used. The physics students in Marshall University SPS are forever grateful for Dr. Smith’s kindness, generosity, and patience, all qualities of which helped make this fund possible.

Recent SPS News & Activities for the 2023-2024 Academic Year

Our members not only serve the community but excel in their academics: 

 Those recognized on Marshall’s Presidents List of Fall 2023 

• Darby McGinnis 
• Kolbey Walker 
• Victoria Maynor 

Those who were recognized on Marshall’s Dean’s List of Fall 2023  

• Liv Stockwin 
• Will Youther 
• Jacob Lee 

Those who were recognized on Marshall’s Presidents List of Spring 2024 

• Liv Stockwin 
• Jacob Lee 
• Kolbey Walker 
• Victoria Maynor 
• Darby McGinnis 

Those who were recognized on Marshall’s Dean’s List of Spring 2024 

• Sydney Moore 
• Peter Burbery 

AJ Messinger received the Bernard & Sylvia Miller Scholarship from the College of Science. From the Physics Department, AJ also received: the Dr. Thomas J. and Mary A. Manakkil Memorial Scholarship and the Alva Dixon Callihan, Donald C. Martin, and Ralph P. Hron Memorial Physics Scholarship. 

 Darby McGinnis received the A. Mervyn Tyson Honors Award for Fall 2023. This award is “presented to a student in an upper-division, interdisciplinary Honors seminar (HON 480) who best demonstrates the qualities of intellectual curiosity and clarity of expression. The recipient of the award is selected by the Dean of the Honors College through nomination by faculty participating in the upper division seminars.” 

 *Presidents List- for undergraduate students who have a 4.0 grade point average for at least 12 graded hours 

**Dean’s List- for undergraduate students who have above a 3.3 grade point average for at least 12 graded hours 

SPS Activities by Academic Year

Fall 2022 – Spring 2023
Fall 2021 – Spring 2022
Fall 2020 – Spring 2021
Fall 2019 – Spring 2020
Fall 2018 – Spring 2019
Fall 2017-  Spring 2018

Fundraising

Fundraising is also an important aspect for our SPS group. The money raised will allow the group to tour graduate research programs and/or national research laboratories along with buy supplies for national build competitions if the desire arises.

Current Fundraising 2024-2025: Help support your local Society of Physics Students chapter at Marshall University by purchasing a SPS club T-shirt! T-Shirts are going for $20 a piece. We have sizes from XXL, XL, and L left. Sizes on hand are on a first come first serve basis. Getting a size larger is recommended to compensate for shrinkage. The shirts are very soft. The shirts have the Marshall University Physics logo on the front right chest area, a Student Government Association logo on the left sleeve, the SPS logo combination on the back and some fun with Maxwell’s equations. We now have an account set-up with PayPal. Anyone who sends money should include the following memo: “(first and last name), ‘T-Shirts,’ (size)”. An example of this would be as follows: Eli Williamson, T-Shirts, Large. Make sure to bring some sort of ID so that we can identify the buyer and give them the proper shirt. To get your hands on one of these, email or stop by Dr. McBride’s office . If you are an Alumni or would like a shirt mailed to you, please email Dr. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu) to work out details on postage costs etc. Here is a direct link to PayPal: https://paypal.me/MUSPS?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US . Money can be sent to @MUSPS on PayPal.

National Constitution of the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma

The Marshall University Chapter of The Society of Physics Students Bylaws

Some information in the “About The Society of Physics Students, Purpose and Mission, and History” sections on this page are provided by: www.spsnational.org

SPS Webpage maintained by Dr. Sean P. McBride, Faculty Advisor of the Marshall University SPS Chapter. Last updated 7-11-2024.