Physics Department News
Reflections on the Conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-Binary Physicists
Hear from our student blogger Harriet, a 2nd year Physics with Astrophysics student who attended the Conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-Binary Physicists (CUWiP) this year hosted by the University of Warwick Department of Physics:
In early April I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-binary Physicists. This was a really brilliant opportunity to get to know other gender minority undergraduates in Physics but also to learn about my options once I have finished my degree - I came away from the conference with a lot more LinkedIn connections and a lot clearer picture of my future!
There was a wide range of backgrounds amongst the attendees as we were all from different universities in different parts of the country, on different degree courses and at different stages in our courses. As I am on the Physics with Astrophysics course, it was interesting to hear from those studying Astrobiology or Medical Physics as they had very different perspectives of a Physics degree to what I had experienced so far. It was also especially fascinating to talk to some mature students as they all had very interesting career paths and journeys into Physics. They were also the most passionate people I spoke to the whole conference!
I attended several panel sessions where I heard from Physicists who had gone into academia or industry and also from PhD students. These sessions were really helpful for exploring which paths I might want to take when I finish my current degree course and have me definitely leaning more towards the PhD and academia route.
I also went on a tour of University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire (UHCW) where I learnt about radiotherapy Physics and the diagnostic and treatment methods used in this field as well as information on careers as a Clinical Scientist. While I don’t think this is the career path for me, I found this really interesting.
Another interesting session was by PhD students in the Equitea forum within the Astronomy department at Warwick. They highlighted some of the systematic issues in academia, specifically in STEM as well as generally, and what we can do as individuals to make positive change. This session presented me with a lot of new perspectives and ideas and it was motivating to hear about what we, as students, can do to change the world of academia as we enter it.
My personal favourite session of the conference was the Keynote speech on the Monday morning by Dr Julia Stawarz. Julia is an Associate Professor in the Solar 7 Space Physics group at Northumbria University and currently holds a Royal Society University Research Fellowship, which is a very prestigious fellowship! In her talk she spoke about her research in using spacecraft measurements of the plasmas within our Solar System such as the Earth’s magnetosphere and solar wind to study plasma turbulence, magnetic reconnection and other collisionless plasma phenomena. Her research focuses on how these phenomena shape the Solar System and other plasma environments throughout the Universe. I have not covered Plasma Physics much in my course so far so it was interesting to hear about an area of Physics that is new to me, but also how it relates to the field of Astrophysics.
I am very glad I had the opportunity to attend this conference as I have come away with a much clearer picture of the different paths I can take in industry or academia or even elsewhere! Being able to talk to professionals in the fields I am interested in was an invaluable experience, as well as the opportunity to gain different perspectives on a Physics degree with undergraduates from lots of different backgrounds!