Aria Soha<\/a>, an engineering physicist at Fermilab, and a host of other women working in data science, patent work, writing and teaching. The workshop Careers Beyond Academia pulled in plenary speakers Renee Horton from NASA and CMU alumna Njema Frazier from the Department of Energy.<\/p>\nA major highlight of the conference was the negotiation seminar led by Ayana Ledford, director of diversity and inclusion for CMU\u2019s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. \u201cThis was not something we’d seen at CUWiP before. Most CUWiPs highlight the importance of being a good negotiator, but no one ever talked about how to build that skill set,\u201d said Rapp.<\/p>\n
Ledford gave concrete steps for how to negotiate a salary and had attendees practice them. In particular, she had students think about their bargaining power: what sets them apart from other candidates and what will be a benefit to whomever is on the other side of the negotiation.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember when you enter your negotiation\u2026hearing \u2018no\u2019 is a great thing because you will say \u2018What needs to happen for me to hear \u2018yes\u2019?\u2019\u201d Ledford told attendees. \u201cSo, you\u2019re not only finding out where the boundaries are and how far you can push, but you can discover what you need to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
The conference also provides a welcoming, low-stakes environment for students to present at a conference. Throughout the weekend, undergraduates gave talks and presented posters and received feedback from faculty and graduate students that they can take with them for future opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was an excellent introduction to how to answer questions from professors and other students about your own research,\u201d said CMU physics student Aria Salyapongse. Salyapongse felt more prepared and confident when she presented at the Biophysical Society meeting in San Diego a few weeks later. \u201cThe people asking me questions there were much less courteous. CUWiP was a good introduction and prep for a much more rigorous poster session,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”11px||14px||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Times New Roman|600|on||||||” text_text_color=”#69f5fc” text_font_size=”42px” text_orientation=”center”]<\/p>\n
\u201cScience thrives when it is inclusive.” <\/p>\n
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Bringing it all together<\/h3>\n
Planning the conference was a large undertaking that brought together partnerships with CMU, Duquesne University, the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and Washington & Jefferson College (W&J). Rapp was the glue that kept everything together. She traveled to APS headquarters in Washington D.C. for a CUWiP convocation in June 2019, and from there, planning was full speed ahead until January 2020.<\/p>\n
It was an all-hands-on deck effort, Rapp said. Over 67 people were involved in the planning, organization and running of the event, including undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, staff and faculty. The leadership committee consisted of Rapp, Diane Turnshek, Diana Parno and Jyoti Katoch (CMU); Fatiha Benmokhtar (Duquesne); Rachel Bezanson, Chandralekha Singh and Arthur Kosowsky (Pitt); and Mike McCracken (W&J), all of whom helped recruit diverse speakers, lead fundraising efforts, coordinate budgets, and organize meals and lab tours.<\/p>\n
After an intense six months of planning, their efforts paid off immensely. Attendees found the conference supportive and inspiring. In particular, they admired Rapp\u2019s presence throughout the conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was my first CUWiP, and it was very encouraging to be around so many supportive people, making it an invaluable experience. Becca did a wonderful job coordinating everything and ensuring that the conference had a welcoming environment,\u201d said Isabelle Khouri from the University of Michigan.<\/p>\n
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\u201cShe was very welcoming to everybody and made sure we all had opportunities to thrive at the conference,\u201d said Abigail Ambrose from the College of Wooster.<\/p>\n
Reaching Far and Wide<\/h3>\n
CUWiP has been shown to not only get women into physics but to keep them there. \u201cCUWiP has become a wonderful institution for building community for young women in physics and young non-binary people in physics,\u201d said Parno, who also moderated a panel on LGBT+ experiences in physics.<\/p>\n
For some students, it might be the first time they encounter other female physics majors. And that experience can have an impact far beyond the conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving students the ability to network and meet diverse physicists is the primary goal of the conference, and it’s something I think we accomplished,\u201d said Rapp. Multiple students have reached out to her since about the connections they made with each other.<\/p>\n
And the impact goes many ways.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of being a leading physics department is the ability and drive to give back to the physics community, and we were delighted to be able to do just that,\u201d Parno said.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Emily Payne
<\/em><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”1755,1757,1758,1759,1761,1760,1763,1762,1764,1765,1766,1767,1768,1769,1770,1771,1772″ show_title_and_caption=”off” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_color=”#ffffff” caption_text_color=”#ffffff” pagination_font=”|600|||||||” pagination_text_align=”center” pagination_text_color=”#ffffff”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/cuwip_bg_footer.jpg” alt=”CUWIP Comes to CMU” title_text=”CUWIP Comes to CMU” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/cuwip_starry_bg.png”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”deliveries” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ background_image=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/11\/stripes_yell_aigu.png” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat-y” min_height=”1519.3px” custom_padding=”54px|0px|0px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.7)” custom_padding=”0|0px|1px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.7.7″ header_font=”|700||on|||||” header_text_color=”#e09900″ header_font_size=”50px” header_2_font=”|||on|||||” header_2_text_color=”#e09900″ header_2_font_size=”32px”]<\/p>\n
Deliveries to Your Door<\/h1>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.75)”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/ss_laduke.jpg” alt=”laduke” title_text=”ss_laduke” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Times New Roman|600|on||||||” text_text_color=”#e09900″ text_font_size=”29px” text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_line_height=”1.8em”]<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s easy to feel disconnected from our community right now, but there are numerous ways to support our community.\u201d <\/p>\n
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I<\/span>n the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, physics Ph.D. candidate Alison LaDuke set up a grocery shopping service to help others stay home.<\/p>\nShe was inspired by the many ways people have stepped up to help in a time of crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve heard of people sewing masks for at-risk populations, but I can’t sew. I’ve heard of people who have recovered from COVID-19 donating plasma to help give people immunity, but I haven’t been sick,\u201d said LaDuke.<\/p>\n
She was looking for a way to help.<\/p>\n
In talking to graduate students in her cohort over Zoom, she realized that many people in Pittsburgh, especially students, rely on buses for transportation to and from grocery stores, something that some students might no longer feel comfortable doing, noted LaDuke. And as social distancing guidelines and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf\u2019s order kept people staying home, demand for grocery shopping and delivery services exploded. Grocery services such as Instacart and grocery stores\u2019 in-house services struggled to keep up with the demand, causing many to wait up to a week or more to schedule grocery deliveries or venture to the store themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is when I realized what I could do to help people stay home,\u201d said LaDuke.<\/p>\n
Previously, LaDuke worked as a full-service shopper for Instacart. She sent a flyer to the Department of Physics offering to shop and deliver groceries for anyone who needed it for no fee.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I ask is that you use this service as an opportunity to improve your social distancing efforts and protect others,\u201d she wrote in the flyer.<\/p>\n
In a time of uncertainty, it\u2019s important to look for the positive, to look for ways to help ourselves and others. And LaDuke wanted to do her part to pay it forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelping others helps me feel a little less lost,\u201d she said. \u201cIt’s easy to feel disconnected from our community right now, but there are numerous ways to support our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another main goal was to help as many people as possible stay home to help flatten the curve.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany essential workers, including those working at grocery stores, and especially health care workers, are putting their lives on the line every day to help. I’m not able to do that, but I can do my part to make their jobs safer,\u201d said LaDuke.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Emily Payne
<\/em><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_id=”scifinovel” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”286.9px” custom_padding=”2px||0px|||”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/sa_beka-sci-fi-book.jpg” alt=”beka-sci-fi-book” title_text=”sa_beka-sci-fi-book” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” box_shadow_style=”preset4″ box_shadow_color=”#e09900″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.7)”]<\/p>\n
Graduate Student Pens Science Fiction Novel<\/h3>\n
Department of Physics Ph.D. candidate Beka Modrekiladze put his understanding of the physical sciences to use in a unique way: by writing a full-length science fiction novel. \u201cEternal Gods Die Too Soon\u201d explores the role of artificial intelligence in society, quantum physics, time and the mysteries of the universe. Knowing that most people are staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are in need of sources of entertainment, Modrekiladze made his book available for free with Kindle Unlimited. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_text=”Stay Current with Physics News at CMU” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” button_url=”https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/physics\/news-events\/index.html” url_new_window=”on” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color=”#e09900″ button_bg_enable_color=”on” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”0px” box_shadow_style=”preset4″ button_font=”|600||on|||||” button_text_size=”15px” button_alignment=”right” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#e0e0e0″ custom_padding=”30px|0px|30px|0px|false|false” box_shadow_style=”preset6″][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_button button_url=”\/physics\/issue-2020\/research-roundup\/” button_text=”Research Roundup” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#e09900″ button_border_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_font=”||||||||” button_icon=”%%179%%” button_icon_color=”#e09900″ button_icon_placement=”left” button_on_hover=”off” button_border_color_hover=”#e09900″ button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_border_color__hover=”#e09900″ button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_button button_url=”\/physics\/issue-2020\/student-stories-2\/” button_text=”Student Stories, Pt 2″ button_alignment=”right” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#e09900″ button_border_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_font=”||||||||” button_icon=”%%180%%” button_icon_color=”#e09900″ button_on_hover=”off” button_border_color_hover=”#e09900″ button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_border_color__hover=”#e09900″ button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In January, Carnegie Mellon University hosted 173 young physicists for a regional American Physical Society (APS) Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP). The conference is held at a dozen institutions across the United States each year, making it one of the largest conferences of its kind in the country. It brings together women in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":1492,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1930","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1930"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2122,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1930\/revisions\/2122"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/physics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}