Women in Physics & Astronomy

Welcome to the UA Women in Physics & Astronomy group! We welcome all undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and faculty in physics, astronomy, and related STEM fields. Our goals are:

  • to foster connections between undergraduates, graduate, and female physicists at all career stages;
  • to encourage the participation, recruitment, and retention of women in physics;
  • to explore opportunities for physicists in academia, K-12 education, and industry.

The faculty members involved in WiPA are:

Undergraduate/Graduate organizers are:

  • President  — Kaitlyn Hemauer (UG)
  • Vice President — Brenna Wells (UG)
  • Secretary — Celly Jimenez (G)
  • Treasurer: Sarah Foess (UG)

We encourage undergraduate and graduate women to become active participants and organizers of WiPA meetings. To find out more information or to be added to the email list, please email uawipa @ gmail.com

WiPA normally meets twice a month.  The schedule for meetings for the current academic year is included below.

Schedule for 2023 – 2024

Meeting time: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays unless otherwise noted.
Room: GL 223 unless otherwise noted.
Refreshments including coffee, tea and snacks will be served.

Fall 2023

Date Topics/Agenda Speaker(s)
09/05/23 Welcome to WiPA – intro + organizational meeting  –
09/26/23 Research showcase
10/17/23 Fall Social
11/07/23 Guest speaker
11/28/23 General Meeting

Spring 2024

Date Topics/Agenda Speaker(s)
01/20/24 – 01/22/24 CUWiP Meeting
TBD Welcome Meeting
How to apply for REUs
TBD General Meeting
TBD General Meeting
TBD Research Panel

Archive of previous WiPA meetings

Resources for Women in Physics

American Physical Society – Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics

APS CUWiP are three-day regional conferences for undergraduate physics majors. The goal of APS CUWiP is to help undergraduate women continue in physics by providing them with the opportunity to experience a professional conference, information about graduate school and professions in physics, and access to other women in physics of all ages with whom they can share experiences, advice, and ideas.

A typical program will include research talks by faculty, panel discussions about graduate school and careers in physics, presentations and discussions about women in physics, laboratory tours, student research talks, a student poster session, and several meals during which presenters and students interact with each other.

The meetings take place every MLK weekend at 10 locations simultaneously  across the US and Canada.

UA Women in STEM Experience (WiSE)

WiSE (Women in STEM Experience) is an initiative that seeks to support women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) through mentorship and networking in the hopes of narrowing the existing gender gap in STEM studies and careers. Through WiSE, students studying science and math related fields have the opportunity to network with peers, faculty, alumni, and professionals. These connections are designed to help students develop skills in professionalism and build confidence in their career pursuits.

4000 Years of Women in Science

Did you know? Science is a traditional role for women. Dr. Deborah Crocker at The University of Alabama and Dr. Sethanne Howard retired from the US Naval Observatory are chronicling the contributions of all the wonderful women of our past at 4000 Years of Women in Science

20th Century Women in Physics (CWP)

For information on noted female physicists of the 20th century please visit UCLA’s CWP library.