Any views expressed within media held on this service are those of the contributors, should not be taken as approved or endorsed by the University, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University in respect of any particular issue.

Physics Society Overview

By Dimona Videnlieva

In this blog post, you can learn more about the University of Edinburgh’s Physics Society (PhysSoc) as shared by the society’s President during the 2022/23 academic year – third-year MPhys Astrophysics student, Pilar Zarco Villegas.


MISSION

Q: What is the general mission of the Physics Society?

A: The mission of the Physics Society is to create a safe space where students can socialise and meet like-minded people, regardless of their physics background. If they like physics, study physics, or even if they just want to have a good time and make friends, the Physics Society is the place for them. The society also aims to make physics more accessible, hence why various workshops and academic talks have been organised in the past.

EVENTS

Q: What kind of events do you organise?

A: We organise a good variety of events. On the social side of the society, we tend to organise pub quizzes, movie nights, bowling, Academic Families events and more. On the academic side of the society, we have stargazing nights and talks by various professionals.

Q: What kind of talks do you host? What topics have been covered recently?

A: We host talks from both University of Edinburgh professors and professionals from different institutions. This year, we had the pleasure to include Dr Kristel Torokoff, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Physics and Astronomy, in one of our collaborative events with the Women in STEM Society. She told us about her trajectory as a woman in science and about some of her role models. Last year, we hosted a talk by Canadian physicist Donna Strickland who was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics. She talked about her ground-breaking research in the field of laser physics.

Q: What has been your favourite event so far and why?

A: My favourite event this year was the first one in Semester 1: a barbecue at the Meadows park. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. There were a lot of first-year students and as someone who was once in their position, it is nice to be able to provide a space for them to get to know new people. There was a great turnout, and everyone had an amazing time!

COMMUNITY

Q: What is the Physics Society community like?

A: The Physics Society has a very diverse community – from first year students looking for new friends, to older students who want to have a good time with their friends. Many of my acquaintances and I met our first university friends thanks to the events the Physics Society provides, especially the Academic Families scheme. They bring the community closer together and help connect people across different years who perhaps may not have gotten the chance to know each other otherwise.

SUPPORT

Q: What kind of support do you offer?

A: The Academic Families scheme is one of the main means of support that the society offers. If there are any other problems, members are encouraged to speak to members of the committee. Our Diversity and Safeguarding Officer and I do our best to make sure the society remains a space where everyone feels included.

Q: Tell me more about the Academic Families scheme. How long has it been running for?

A: The Academic Families scheme has been running for several years now. It pairs pre-honours students (in Years 1-2) – the so-called children, with honours students (Years 3-5) – their parents. It creates a small group environment in which the younger students can feel safe to ask questions about their degree and life in Edinburgh and gives them the chance to make new friends. The Academic Families events include pub quizzes, bowling nights, dinners and many more!

LOOKING AHEAD

Q: Are there any exciting events in the near future that you can tell us about?

A: We have a very exciting event coming up on the 4th February – the Scottish Cluster event. It is a collaboration with the UK’s national student space society, UKSEDS (UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space). The event will gather organisations from all over the United Kingdom to give talks on what they do and to give students a way to find out about career opportunities in the space industry. Moreover, two speakers will be giving talks on space research. There is so much to look forward to in this event!

The University of Edinburgh’s Physics Society has a lot to offer for students in all subject areas from all years. If you’re looking to learn more about physics, or just meet new people and have fun, I would highly recommend the Physics Society!

You can find more information about joining the Physics Society or attending the Scottish Cluster event on their social media channels below:
Physics Society Social Media Channels

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

css.php

Report this page

To report inappropriate content on this page, please use the form below. Upon receiving your report, we will be in touch as per the Take Down Policy of the service.

Please note that personal data collected through this form is used and stored for the purposes of processing this report and communication with you.

If you are unable to report a concern about content via this form please contact the Service Owner.

Please enter an email address you wish to be contacted on. Please describe the unacceptable content in sufficient detail to allow us to locate it, and why you consider it to be unacceptable.
By submitting this report, you accept that it is accurate and that fraudulent or nuisance complaints may result in action by the University.

  Cancel