Physics 60th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday 5th July
Department of Physics, University of Warwick
Current Staff and Students Register Here / Former Staff and Alumni Register Here
On Saturday 5th July 2025 we celebrated 60 years of Physics at the University of Warwick, and we invited our current staff and students, former staff members and alumni to come along and get involved. We hosted a day of talks, demos, tours, and other activities aimed at showcasing the amazing research, teaching, and outreach that has been taking place in the department. We will also looked forward towards the bright future for Physics at Warwick as we work to make a better world together.
If you are interested in the history of the department, Professor Malcolm Cooper (Emeritus Professor, former Head of Department) has written a memoir 'Six Decades of Physics at Warwick', which covers some of the major milestones and changes in the department from it's inception in 1965 right through to today. Please click here to read.
As part of the celebrations, our own Gavin Bell composed a 5-minute piece of music. It was inspired by the number 60 and the idea of symmetry, a notion of central importance to physicists. It also draws heavily on ideas explored in the Science of Music interdisciplinary module. This undergraduate module is taught in Warwick's Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL) and was developed by Gavin and colleagues in Physics. Please click here for more info and to listen to the piece!
Registration (Alumni + Former Staff) - Registration (Current Staff and Students) - Programme - Six Decades of Physics at Warwick - Who has supported you on your Physics Journey? - Contact Us - Campus Map - Parking - Accessible Parking
Accompanying partners and children are very welcome. Activities will be available for all ages and every level of physics knowledge.
Programme
| When | Where | What | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrival from 9:00 |
Physics Concourse | Registration |
Registration and collection of name badge, tour tickets and BBQ tickets (if applicable) |
| 9.00 onwards | Physics Stands and Demonstrations: Live link to GOTO (Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer) and Kilonova Seekers citizen science programme STEM Connect- Virtual reality fly through of the new Science Precinct Superconductivity Electron Microscopy VR Science of Music The UK Materials Science Facility at the ESRF (XMAS) and the XMAS Scientist Experience Activities for families Who inspired you on your Physics journey? - Display of received nominations. We would also like to invite guests to add to the nominations on the day. |
Drop in demonstrations along science concourse, available throughout the day |
|
| 09:45-10:00 | PLT | Welcome back to Physics | Welcome and introduction to the day from Prof Mark Newton (Head of Department) |
| 10:00-11:00 | PLT | Interactive panel session- chaired by Prof Geetha Balakrishnan Panel 1 - Research cluster representatives take a light hearted look at research highlights in their areas and the big ideas for the future
Panel 2 - Former Heads of Department share experiences and key achievements of Warwick Physics
|
All welcome |
| 11:15-11.45 11.45-12.15 12.15-12.45 12.45-13.15 |
Millburn House | Bookable Tours of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facilities | Millburn House is a short walk from the Physics Building (0.4 miles, approx 10 mins). Tour group sizes limited. Collect tickets on arrival. |
| 11:15-12:00 | PLT | First Round of Science Talks |
Dr James Blake - Monitoring the mess of near-Earth space Dr Rachel Edwards - Seeing Sound Dr Anne-Marie Broomhall - The Music of the Sun |
| 12:00-15:00 | Bookable Tours of the Marsh Observatory Mobile Planetarium Show |
The Marsh Observatory is a short walk from the Physics Building (0.6 miles, approx 15 mins) |
|
| 12:15-13:00 | PLT | Virtual visit of ATLAS facility at CERN | |
| 13:15-14:00 | Second Round of Science Talks | Prof Don Pollacco - Warwick Space Missions Dr Wing Ying Chow Dr Jiachen Jiang - How to run away from a black hole |
|
| 14:30-16:30 | Cryfield Sports Pavilion | BBQ- available for ticket holders. Bar, ice cream van and outdoor games open to all. |
All welcome. BBQ food tickets must be pre-booked and collected from the registration desk. Cryfield Sports Pavilion is a short walk from the Physics Building (0.6 miles, approx 15 mins). There is parking available at the Pavilion and a general car park (called the Milking Parlour) opposite the Pavilion on Leighfield Road. If you have paid for parking and would prefer to drive to the Pavilion, you can move your vehicle without incurring additional parking charges. |