Committee Work and EDI
Each of the department's committees are charged with ensuring that equity, diversity, and inclusion are fundamental considerations in all decision-making processes and committee activities. This approach stems from the Department EDI Strategic Plan and keeps conversations throughout each academic year focused on allowing all community members the ability to fully participate in the life of the department.
The School of Physical Sciences Cohort Program
The School of Physical Sciences Cohort Program provides opportunities for Physics students with non-traditional educational backgrounds have access to enhanced scholastic pathways during their time at UC San Diego. Students in the Cohort Program work together as a community to build foundational knowledge, receive continuous mentorship, have greater access to research opportunities, and launch meaningful and significant careers in STEM.
EXPAND Mentorship Program
Co-founded by Physics graduate students Grady Kestler and Jonathan Guiang, the EXPAND (Experiential Projects for Accelerated Networking and Development) Mentorship Program was established in 2020 through a partnership with the School of Physical Sciences Student Success Center. The overall mission of EXPAND is to remove the barriers to opportunities in the physical sciences and equitably prepare students for successful careers. The program specifically selects undergraduate applicants from the Physical Sciences who have little-to-no prior experience and pairs them with a graduate student/postdoc mentor who will guide them through a quarter-long research project. Professional development training, CCR credit, and much more are also provided.
SPS ARMS Seminar Series & Reading List
Members of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) have formed the committee Advocating for and Representing Minority Students (ARMS) to address a lack of advocacy for and engagement of underrepresented groups in the Physics Department at UC San Diego. ARMS strives to hold themselves, peers, and faculty members accountable for fostering and enforcing an anti-racist environment to combat the history of discrimination and exclusion in the field of physics. The mission of ARMS is to cultivate a supportive space for minority and underrepresented students, provide undergraduate students with a voice on issues of diversity and inclusivity in the Physics Department, and educate our scientific community on the minority experience in physics. In addition to organizing a seminar series in 2023-2024, the ARMS team has assembled a Minority Experience Reading List to provide insight into the experiences of minorities in physics, academia, and the broader scientific community.
Big Sister STEM
Founded by PhD alumna Megan Li, Big Sister STEM is a nonprofit organization that pairs early-career women in STEM with girls in junior high and high school for meaningful mentorship and STEM exploration. You can find out more about Big Sister STEM and donate to their efforts at www.bigsisterstem.org.
STEM Girl Summer
Founded by Physics Graduate Council President Robin Glefke, this annual event is for girls in high school. Offered each summer on campus at UC San Diego, STEM Girl Summer is a fun-filled event that shows girls from the local community research possibilities within physics and provides interaction with women actively pursuing science as a career.
Diversity Initiatives
If you have ideas for ways to amplify diversity initiatives in the Department of Physics or are interested in contributing please complete the feedback form below.