In March 2023, five students from the University of Edinburgh travelled to Liverpool to attend the Conference of Undergraduate Women and Non-binary Physicists, hosted jointly by the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University. Second year student Ailís speaks about her experience at the conference.
Our first night in Liverpool was dedicated to networking with other attendees. We were put into teams with other participants from across the UK and Ireland and were challenged to a very competitive quiz night. I can’t say that my team did amazing, but in our defence, we were up against some very tough teams!
The next morning, we were up bright and early for a trip to some of the sites where Physics is practically applied on a day-to-day basis. We had a choice of three venues for our visit: Daresbury Laboratory, Jodrell Bank Observatory, or Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. I chose to visit Daresbury Laboratory, one of the UK’s largest laboratories, containing a wide range of experiments from particle accelerators to supercomputers. During the tour, we were fortunate to have scientists and engineers guiding us through the various projects and sharing their insights. After the tour, we had the privilege of listening to accomplished professionals and PhD students who openly discussed their career journeys and reflected on how gender has influenced their paths. It was a thought-provoking experience that shed light on the unique challenges they face.
After returning to Liverpool, we were treated to an informative lecture by Dr. Izzy Jayasinghe, a Senior Lecturer within the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Sheffield. Learning about her work in that department and her role as a UKRI Future Leader Fellow was truly inspiring. This engaging session was followed by a thought-provoking workshop and discussion titled “Being a Woman in Physics.” It provided a safe space for group conversations about minority inclusion in physics. We delved into the reasons behind the lack of representation of young women and non-binary individuals in physics, discussing the dearth of accessible role models and the discouraging attitudes prevalent in school environments. The evening reached its pinnacle with captivating drop-in talks by PhD students from the University of Liverpool (UoL) and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). This opportunity to explore the transition from taught to research-based studies proved to be invaluable and was highly appreciated by all attendees.
Day three of the conference began with a talk from Dr Jess Wade, a specialist in Raman spectroscopy based at Imperial College London. She is an advocate for women’s inclusion in STEM and is part of a campaign to promote women in STEM via the creation of Wikipedia articles. This was followed by an academic panel called “What Did You Do with Physics?”, where early career scientists spoke about their transition from study and some tips that they wish they’d been told during university.
Following this, we were introduced to potentially my favourite part of the conference. The afternoon began with a workshop on how to build conference through science communication, led by Dr Stacey Habergham-Mawson. This session gave us the tools to assist with The Science Jamboree, a University of Liverpool event for Beavers, Cubs, Rainbows and Brownies where students deliver STEM activities, encouraging the exploration of science for young people. I was in a group tasked with teaching the scale of the solar system to these children. It was amazing to see how enthusiastic and excited the girls were to learn about science and how intently they listened to myself and other volunteers as we explained the ins-and-outs of the solar system to them. It was a wonderful experience and the gift of my very own badge from the Brownies was the cherry-on-top of this unforgettable memory.
Following the Jamboree, we had two lecturers. The first was presented by Professor Laura Harkness-Brennan, discussing segmented inverted-coaxial germanium gamma-ray detectors. The second was presented by Dr , discussing string theory meeting the fundamental problems in particle physics and cosmology. We were then given time to explore the city before a reception and dinner at the Maritime Museum on Liverpool’s Docks. This reception was beautiful, and the dinner was accompanied by words from Professor Monica D’Onofrio, a high-energy physicist based at the University of Liverpool.
The final day began with a talk from Dr Lia Li, CEO of Zero Point Motion Ltd about her transition from academia to the corporate world, entrepreneurship and the working differences between start-ups and established companies. This was followed by an early careers panel, where we heard from medical physicists, PhD students, engineers and more about their experiences after completing undergraduate physics. The conference concluded with a lecture from Professor Carla Figueira de Morisson Faria titled “Quantum effects in strong-field and attosecond science”.
Attending CUWIP 2023 provided me with the opportunity to meet other likeminded physicists and allowed me to explore the career options available to me post-degree, many of which options I had never considered until given the opportunity to discuss them at the conference. Talking to other attendees and lecturers bestowed a community upon me that is often lacking within the male-dominated physics lectures and tutorials I am used to. I was able to make so many great friends and create strong connections with physicists across the UK and Ireland.
Thank you to the organisers at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University for the amazing conference and provision of accommodation and food, and thank you to the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh for providing travel funds to myself and other attendees from the university.
The 2024 Conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-Binary People in Physics will run in Limerick from March 21-24th. Early-bird applications are open now and will close December 1st 2023. For more information and to apply, visit the website at http://sophiaphysics.ie/index.php/cuwnbip2024/.
