Students find community while pursuing their degrees in the department of physics and astronomy. Organizations help students navigate school, connect to resources and peers, and make a difference for others.

Physics & Astronomy Graduate Student Association

This past year has been filled with connection and growth for the Physics & Astronomy Graduate Student Association (PAGSA) and the graduate student community. The organization hosted a range of events and programs that brought students together in fun and meaningful ways. 

The cozy and popular Thanksgiving Potluck featured more sweets than attendees could handle! The Spring Picnic brought unexpected excitement when extreme rain forced everyone indoors. It turned into a lively gathering, attracting curious undergraduates as they passed by the physics library. The weather was perfect for the outdoors Fall Welcome Picnic. More than 70 attendees, including faculty, postdocs, and students mingled in a casual setting. Other social events including disc golf, game nights, movie nights, and ice skating, offered opportunities to relax and connect outside of the lab and classroom. 

The PAGSA mentoring program thrived this year, especially with the arrival of a larger group of new students. Eighteen graduate students actively participate, helping new members navigate the ups and downs of grad school. The journal clubs, dubbed TAP (Title, Abstract, Plot) Hour, have also been a highlight, offering a supportive environment for practicing public speaking and presentations. Students prepped for the American Physical Society and Biophysical Society conferences, and enjoyed a few lighter talks too.

PAGSA also made a significant impact through outreach this year. On April 8, members coordinated an eclipse event in collaboration with MU Extension, setting up telescopes and handing out eclipse glasses on campus at Lowry Mall.  

The event drew more than 1,000 people, and a group of students even traveled to Poplar Bluff in the path of totality, where they shared the eclipse experience with more than 2,500 attendees. Beyond this, graduate students partnered with MU Extension for visits to 4-H clubs in Boone County schools, engaged with the hard of hearing community through DeafLEAD, and gave an outreach presentation at the Moberly Correctional Center. Students also volunteered at the Columbia Young Scientist Expo in March and at our department's Annual Open House, spreading a love for science to a wide range of audiences. 

News contributed by Dallar Babaian, PAGSA president.

Mizzou Women in Physics and Astronomy 

MOWiPA (Mizzou Women in Physics and Astronomy) recently celebrated its first year as an organization! Our main goals are to provide a voice for the women and gender minorities within the Physics Department, to foster connections with its members that will last beyond their time here, and to enhance the academic pursuits of the women in the department. It has been an exciting and fun filled year. In the fall, we became an officially recognized group on campus, had pumpkin painting fun, and worked on creating/updating our CVs using LaTeX. In the spring, we applied for and received $1000 from an APS Women in Physics Grant to help fund some of our activities for this upcoming year. We wrapped up our first year with a brunch and we hope to see some new and old faces this school year! Professor Maria Mills is faculty advisor for the group.

News contributed by Vicki Kuhn, MOWiPA president

Society of Physics Students 

SPS had an exciting year! We kicked off with our annual Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Social and hosted a variety of events throughout the year. These included student research presentations, faculty talks, and fun trivia nights. We also organized sessions on general physics topics, graduate school and REU applications, and the latest news from the physics community. A highlight was our graduate student panel, where undergraduates had the opportunity to ask questions about life in graduate school.  

Our regular attendees grew from about five to over fifteen students, a trend we aim to continue! 

In January, we took a trip to Chicago, IL. Twelve students visited Argonne National Laboratory, Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, Fermilab, Adler Planetarium, and Millennium Park. We look forward to a similar trip this year! 

News contributed by SPS President Julianna Bayless 

MU Astronomy Club 

The MU Student Astronomical Society (MUSAS) has kept busy this year! We focused on growing our membership, both within the physics department and outside of it. This year, we have about 20 active members, maintaining our levels from last year and far exceeding numbers from the year prior. Currently, about half of our members are physics majors and the other half are from other disciplines. Our meetings over the past year included a trip to Laws Observatory, astronomy research presentation (with an emphasis on how to get involved in research and apply for REUs), a space movie night, astronomy trivia, and, of course, we continued our monthly stargazing nights at Eagle Bluffs. Through our various events, we try to emphasize outreach to the general public and encourage students to get involved in scientific research. 

The highlight of the past year was our annual stargazing spring break trip. This year 8 Mizzou students traveled to Buffalo National River in Arkansas. Although it was cloudy for much of our stay, we still got to hike, explore the river, and talk to a park ranger about astronomy, since the park is an International Dark Sky Area. Luckily, on the last night of the trip, a few of our members got a glimpse of some beautiful stars. We plan to continue the spring break tradition this year with a trip to a different dark sky area! 

News contributed by club president Ellie Gates