2024-2025 SPS T-shirts on sale now, scroll to the very bottom for details!
About The Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional association open to anyone interested in physics. One does not have to be a Physics Major to be a member. At the global level, SPS members include not only physics majors, but also students and professionals in astronomy, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, mathematics, medicine, and other fields. Within SPS is a separate association, Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ). Sigma Pi Sigma is the national physics and astronomy honor society, which elects members on the basis of outstanding academic achievements. Induction into Sigma Pi Sigma shall be based upon character and academic and professional attainments and is not restricted to physics majors. The Marshall University Chapter of SPS celebrated the 100th Birthday of ΣΠΣ in the spring 2022 semester when a celebration could occur face-to-face. A presentation on the history of both the Marshall University chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma and the Marshall University chapter of the Society of Physics Students, illustrating who were the key players in their development, was provided. That presentation with hyperlinks is available here (provided by Faculty SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma Advisor, Dr. Sean P. McBride, 2017-present): Marshall University SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma Chapters
History
The Society of Physics Students was formed in 1968 with a constitution that combined its two “parent” organizations, The American Institute of Physics (AIP) Student Sections and the Sigma Pi Sigma honor society. SPS now has over 850 chapters on campuses across the country. The associated honor society, Sigma Pi Sigma, now exists in about 600 of those chapters with over 100,000 inductees throughout its history. Marshall University’s Society of Physics Students has roots that extend back to 1960 when the AIP first recognized an AIP student Section from, then, Marshall College under Physics Department Chair Dr. Donald C. Martin. Marshall College was elevated to Marshall University in 1961 under the advisement of Dr. Stewart H. Smith, the seventh and longest serving Marshall University President in the history of the institution. Marshall University established its Sigma Pi Sigma Chapter in 2008 under the advisement of Dr. Ralph E. Oberly (Marshall Physics Professor for 49 years from 1970-2019 and Chair of the Physics Department to follow after Dr. Martin).
Purpose and Mission
SPS is a chapter-based society that exists to help students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community. Traditional coursework develops only one range of skills. Other skills needed to flourish professionally include effective communication and personal interactions, leadership experience, establishing a personal network of contacts, presenting scholarly work in professional meetings and journals, research experiences, and outreach services to the campus and local communities. Through its members, advisers, chapters, and leadership, SPS enables national initiatives and local impacts within the community. Locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, the SPS offers the opportunity for these important enrichments to the student’s experience.
SPS at Marshall is a Nationally Recognized Student Organization
Marshall University’s SPS Organization has been nationally recognized the last six consecutive academic years by the National SPS Office. When you see a student member of the Society of Physics Students, make sure to congratulate them on earning the title of a Distinguished Society of Physics Student Chapter for the 17-19 academic years and an Outstanding SPS Chapter award for the 2019-2023 academic years! A Society of Physics Students Outstanding Chapter award is the highest level of distinction given to SPS chapters and is received by less than 12% of top chapters annually, with just 96 of 844 chapters honored in the 2020 year, 80 of 844 chapters honored in 2021, 86 of 844 chapters honored in 2022, and similar ratios in later years. The Distinguished Chapter awards prior, put the group in the top 22% of all SPS chapters during that time. “We at the SPS National Office want to take this opportunity to commend and applaud you for your tireless efforts to enrich the SPS community. It is because of your dedication and commitment to the SPS mission and vision that we are able to foster such a strong SPS community” – Brad R. Conrad, Ph.D., former Director, Society of Physics Students & Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ).
The Marshall University Chapter of the Society of Physics Students
Here at Marshall, during the above award years, the make-up of the SPS organization has fluctuated from being mostly comprised of physics majors to only having a few physics majors; the group is always looking to recruit from other majors, especially those in science education or STEM related fields. The main objective of SPS at Marshall is to have fun as a group. We encourage interested students in the sciences, and physics in particularly, to develop and grow in their knowledge base of science and physics related research, develop a strong collegiate bond between faculty and students, promote public interest and awareness in science in general and specifically physics, and recognize high levels of student achievements by means of a Sigma Pi Sigma induction.
Since fall 2019, decided by the then current SPS members and continued until now, it was decided that SPS would be more of an outreach and recruiting student organization for those in the Physics Department/program who are involved in outreach or assisting with the SPS group’s own outreach activities that they devise. In spring 2020, through Fall 2021, many of the planned outreach events were cancelled due to COVID; however, SPS students were still able to conduct virtual outreach and promote physics and the department via their virtual Faces of Physics speaker Series and virtual Science Olympiad Coaching (more details for both in the links below). The SPS group does have interests in fundraising activities in an effort to save money to go on a fun/cool/educational trip at the end of either the semester or academic year depending on how much money is raised and available. At the end of every semester would be ideal for a trip. This trip could be to a national lab/school/graduate program/etc. An additional goal for SPS will also be networking for the students for future employment; so, meetings will likely host speakers from academia and industry.
- Check us out on Herdlink
- Also, check out the Marshall Physics Facebook Page
- Here is our Digital Brochure: Marshall University SPS
Want to Become a SPS Member at Marshall University?
If you want get involved in SPS and become a member, contact Dr. Sean P. McBride, current SPS faculty advisor as of August 2017 (mcbrides@marshall.edu) or go to one of the SPS meetings. Bring a friend. If you really want to get involved in SPS and have a leadership role as a SPS member, which looks great on resumes for grad school or employment, you are encouraged you to apply for an officer position. Meeting times and locations change each semester, contact Dr. McBride for the most current information. All majors and all academic ranks from freshmen to graduate students are welcome to attend meetings and join the club!
Current Student Officers Elected Post Spring 2024:
Liv Stockwin (President)
Darby McGinnis (Vice President)
Will Youther (Secretary)
Sydney Moore (Treasurer)
Lauren Shoemaker (Social Media)
SPS Advisor: Dr. Sean P. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu), Associate Professor, Physics Program
- The following link will allow you to register to become an official member: Join SPS National | Society of Physics Students
- Membership dues are only $24 per year (costs may be covered by the local SPS endowment funds, talk to Dr. McBride, see below).
- Memberships will be covered according the Marshall University SPS Chapter bylaws if members are active over the membership year in which they purchased.
Marshall Physics Department and National SPS Scholarships and Awards Available!
Visit the Marshall Physics Scholarship Page for all scholarships available to current Marshall students and ones specifically for current Marshall physics students, including ones available for SPS members. Explore an in-depth presentation of the benefits of being an SPS member. Find information on national SPS deadlines for awards and scholarships.
Marshall University SPS Chapter Article Contributions to ‘The SPS Observer’
“The SPS Observer is the quarterly magazine of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) published by SPS and the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Four issues are mailed each academic year: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Subscriptions are included in your SPS national membership dues. Each issue contains interesting feature articles, advice from experienced voices, chapter interactions and activities, physics problems, society news, announcements, and meeting notes from SPS reporters. ~ About The SPS Observer | Society of Physics Students (spsnational.org)” Over the years the SPS advisor, student officers, and members have contributed three articles to the nationally in print distributed magazine.
- Winter 2019 – A Week of Physics “Phun” at Marshall University
- Spring 2021 – Faces of Physics: Campus Event Turned Virtual Speaker Series
- Fall 2021 – Coaching West Virginia’s Top Science Olympiad Team for Nationals
- Winter 2024 – Teaching Students to make Cameras from Scratch
Virtual Speaker Series Hosted by SPS (November 2020 through spring 2023, restarting in Fall 2024 sponsored by NASA)
The Faces of STEM Speaker Series started out as the Faces of Physics Speakers Series. The series has evolved with time to include more diversity in speaker fields, not just physics, reflecting our own diversity and interests within the SPS chapter here at Marshall. One does not need to be a physics major to be a member of SPS. In line with the aim of the original series, the Faces of STEM Speaker Series highlights the work of researchers from underrepresented groups to promote inclusion and inspire the next generation of scientists to see a place for themselves in exciting STEM fields. The original Series was hosted and developed by the Marshall University Chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and has been funded over the years by the Marshall SPS Chapter, The American Institute of Physics, and The NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium. For fall 2024, The NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium is supporting the speaker series. The Series ideally is to be run at a pace of one talk per month during the academic year. Each month during the regular academic semesters, a guest speaker will give a ~ 45-minute talk on their current research, followed by a Q&A session with attendees. The talks will be held virtually through YouTube Live and are free and open to the public and will be appropriate for all ages. To stay up to date on information pertaining to the event, sign up for the mailing list below or follow Marshall University Physics on Facebook.
Request information about the Society of Physics Students upcoming speaker series
This speaker’s series started out as a single event planned on campus and partially funded via the Future Faces of Physics Award for spring 2020 from the National SPS Office (American Institute of Physics), but COVID-19 had other plans and it was radically transformed for fall 2020. The story of how this single Campus Event Turned Virtual Speaker Series is featured in the Spring 2021 edition of The SPS Observer. The SPS Observer is the quarterly magazine of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) published by SPS and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and is distributed nationally.
Previous Virtual Speakers and Links to Their Videos (click on speaker name for their bio and or supporting info):
Prof. Aldo Humberto Romero – Can we really Design Materials from Scratch, February 27th @ 7:00 PM EST (USA), 2023, Romero on YouTube
Dr. Yasu Okumura – Higgs? Vacuum? Symmetry? Let’s reveal the mysteries of the universe with LHC!, December 1st @ 3:00 PM EST (USA), 2022, Okumura on YouTube
Ellie White, Sarah Olivera, and Victoria Catlett – Journeys to the Green Bank Observatory – November 3rd @ 7:00 PM, 2022, White, Olivera, and Catlett on YouTube
Dr. Tina Cartwright – Career Trajectories and Pluto (?), Saturday, April 21st, 2022, 6:30 pm ET. Cartwright on YouTube
Dr. Cheng Cen – Quantum Phases on Demand, Department of Physics and Astronomy at West Virginia University, Friday, March 25th, 2022, 7 pm ET. Cen on YouTube
Dr. Natasha G. Holmes – The Trouble with Traditional Physics Labs, Department of Physics at Cornell University, Friday, February 25th, 2022, 4-5pm ET. Holmes on YouTube
Emily Sutherland – Undergraduate Student to Doctoral Candidate: A Marshall Alumna’s Perspective, Physics PhD candidate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, December 2, 2021, 7 p.m. Sutherland on YouTube
Links to previous speaker’s biographies and links to theirs talks can be found here.
Marshall University SPS Receives a $25,000 Endowment + $3,000 in Fluid Funds for Activities
Established June 7th 2021 – This endowment and fund were made possible by the very kind, generous, and patient Dr. Frederick W. Smith.
Dr. Frederick W. Smith grew up in Huntington, West Virginia. He is the son of a former Marshall University President [1946-1968], Stewart H. Smith. In 1960, he graduated from Marshall High School (which was then on the Marshall College campus, currently now the Education Building housing the College of Education and Professional Development) and then pursued a B.A. degree in physics from Lehigh University and graduated in 1964. He then went on to Brown University and graduated with a PhD in solid state physics in 1969. After a postdoc at Rutgers University, he joined the faculty of the Physics Department of the City College of the City University of New York in 1970. There he had a 43-year long career as a physicist teaching and conducting experimental research in solid state physics and materials science. He is coauthor with Prof. Joel Gersten on the textbook “The Physics and Chemistry of Materials” and is an author of over 80 publications.
Dr. Smith read about the activities of the SPS chapter at Marshall in the Marshall Alumni Bulletin in January 2021 and wanted to contribute to the activities of the physics students. He wanted advice on what are some of the needs of the SPS students. The Society of Physics Students Fund for the Marshall University Chapter of SPS was established 6 months later in June 2021. Dr. Frederick W. Smith committed to establishing a $25,000 endowment for the Marshall University Society of Physics Students for use in SPS events and activities. This translates to the SPS chapter having access to roughly $500 a semester from this endowment after maturing. An additional fluid $3,000 has been provided to assist with activities. The establishment of this fund will enable SPS to further increase their impact on our local on and off campus communities and will increase exciting professional growth opportunities for Marshall’s physics majors as well.
As a result of the establishment of this endowed Fund by Dr. Smith, it is the hope that all physics majors at Marshall University will also be SPS members; therefore, both the SPS group will remain strong for generations to come and all the physics majors will benefit from this Fund. The Fund has been specifically established to be for the activities carried out by the SPS members. The students in the Marshall University SPS group are to decide how the funds are to be used. The physics students in Marshall University SPS are forever grateful for Dr. Smith’s kindness, generosity, and patience, all qualities of which helped make this fund possible.
Recent SPS News & Activities for the 2023-2024 Academic Year
What have been your SPS Chapter’s interactions with SPS Office and Regional Programs?
Our chapter of SPS here at Marshall University encourages members to sign up for the SPS membership from the national office, that not only helps the national council host student activities but provides students with various benefits. Our chapter makes sure to keep our membership information as up to date as possible.
For this past academic year, our clubs President AJ Messinger nominated our club’s advisor Dr. McBride for the SPS Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award. Even though Dr. McBride did not receive the award, he was very thankful and appreciative for the nomination. AJ prepared all the required documentation and forms then submitted them before the March 15th deadline. As a chapter, we believe Dr. McBride is very deserving of this award, as he goes over and beyond for the students here at Marshall University. Without Dr. McBride, we as a chapter would not be as successful as we have been this past year and the years before, we are grateful to have Dr. McBride as our club’s advisor. While we did not nominate anyone for AZC for zone 7, our chapter was very happy to be able to vote in the SPS National Council election. Peter Burbery, SPS Member, served on the zone 7 Board during the 2023-2024 term.
This year we were able to send two of our SPS members, Joseph Powell (right) and club President AJ Messinger (left) to the SPS Zone 7 meeting that was conducted alongside the 2024 Spring Meeting of the APS Eastern Great Lakes Section at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. This allowed both members to interact with not only other zone 7 SPS members but also allowed them to interact with their surrounding physics community. A lot of networking was accomplished, with one of our members, Joseph Powell, even receiving an offer to perform research at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base east of Dayton, Ohio. Joseph accepted this offer and is currently there conducting computational research to simulate nuclear reactions.
Our involvement with other chapters of SPS pertains to social media. We maintain regular communication by posting our endeavors to share with other chapters and the entire SPS community. SPS has partnered with Marshall University’s Astronomy Club, another club on campus, at various times to produce great outreach opportunities such as our viewing event of the solar eclipse[1]. MUAC is one of the newest clubs on campus, most recently receiving the most improved student organization from Marshall University. Our SPS Advisor, Dr. McBride, also advises this club when requested by the students wishing to form it.
One of the most exciting parts of this academic year was learning that our outreach activity “Teaching Students to Make Cameras From Scratch” was going to be published in the Winter 2024 edition of the SPS Observer[2], (Volume LVII, Issue 3). This article detailed workshops that were done during the 2022-2023 academic year, where Marshall SPS members assisted students from Davis Creek Elementary and Highlawn Elementary with the creation of their very own pinhole cameras. These workshops were the reason we received the “Community Service Event of the Year” award for 2023 from Marshall University during The Leadership Awards Ceremony on February 23rd, 2024. These workshops were a success and were continued during this past academic year.
How has your SPS Chapter engaged with your campus community?
Our first SPS meeting for Fall 2023[3] was held in-person at the end of August. There was also the option to attend virtually – an option we kept for all meetings this academic year. We had pizza and various refreshments and discussed our over-the-summer accomplishments as well as future plans. Our first meeting of Spring 2024 once again brought team festivities. We strive to make our meetings welcoming and enjoyable. This is foremost achieved by providing food and refreshments during notable meetings. We promote friendship and teamwork, in addition to education and service opportunities. Each of our meetings began with time dedicated to socializing. With each new member or prospective member, we also focus on introductions and opening the line of communication. Our meetings consist of a full group discussion on how to continue our efforts in the chapter. We also leave time at the end to brainstorm new ideas together and share our thoughts. We have the option of attending all meetings virtually – an action to cater to those unable to travel to campus.
In order to promote the great work that our student members are doing, we make sure to stay as up to date as possible with social media. One of the platforms our club has had great success with is Facebook, with our chapter posting our outreach events on our public Marshall University Physics[4] Facebook page. This next academic year, our club is hoping to use additional social media sites to help promote SPS even more.
Our club’s strategy for promoting SPS membership is through tabling and interaction at Marshall University student organizational events. We set up a table decorated with our activities, awards, and a physics-related demonstration. The events we table range from Freshman Orientations, Science Olympiad, and the International Festival, to Campus Organization Fairs. The diversity of events we attend caters to all different types of students of all ages. All the events we attended to promote SPS membership can be seen through the rest of this section.
We participated in the New Student Orientation[5] hosted by Marshall University on June 13-14th , 2023. This portion of the New Student Orientation event packed the lobby of the Memorial Student Center with active student groups. Numerous students showed an interest in either the Society of Physics Students organization or the physics major or minor. Information about the SPS group and the physics major and minor were provided. Our members AJ Messinger, Jacob Lee, Kolbey Walker, and Victoria Maynor assisted.
Rec Fest[6] was an awesome event to start the semester. This event is held at the beginning of an academic year – focused on promoting Huntington businesses and Marshall Organizations. Students present had fun, met new friends, talked to some of the local businesses, and chatted with some of the on-campus organizations present. We tabled adjacent to the MUAC table. We discussed our science outreach in both the on and off-campus communities.
We tabled at MU’s Green and White Day[7] for student organizations on February 3rd! Marshall SPS Vice President Liv Stockwin and SPS member Will Youther ran an SPS table and got to speak with students from Marshall University, sharing with them the opportunities our club offers. Green and White Day is Marshall’s Open House event that includes an academic showcasing. Typically, 90 booths are set up in the Rec Center and Student Center to answer questions and show off their programs. It was a beautiful sunny day, filled with music and student discussions. Without our growing number of SPS members for a chapter, we wouldn’t be able to attend great events like this.
The Society of Physics Students and The MUAC met with College of Science Dean Wesley Stites and Associated Dean Anna Mummert to share information on the partial solar eclipse[8] that was to occur on April 8th along with providing them with their very own eclipse glasses. These glasses allowed them to safely view all stages of the eclipse. Both student organizations worked together during the eclipse to facilitate a whole-campus event. Discussed in more detail in the later sections of this report.
At the end of April, SPS President AJ Messinger was invited by the Marshall Mathematics and Physics department to join them at the April 2024 Green and White day academic showcase[9] for Marshall University. AJ got the opportunity to interact with excited prospective students and helped recruit not only for SPS, but for the Mathematics and Physics department also! Exciting demonstrations of how physics and mathematics play roles in the physical world around us were provided along with information about career paths and degree programs at Marshall University.
On October 6th, 2023 SPS participated in the recurring Pumpkin Drop[10] that was organized by Jason Gibbs, Science STEM Coordinator, June Harless Center, College of Education and Professional Development on October 6th. Twenty-six teams of young students assembled their own contraptions to encase a pumpkin, in which our local fire station dropped from their aerial work platform to test the durability. Our members Sydney Moore, Darby McGinnis, Liv Stockwin, Kolbey Walker, Victoria Maynard, and AJ Messinger assisted with the check-in of devices, handing off the devices to the firefighters for the big drop, and the clean-up of “damaged” pumpkins that did not make it.
On June 13th, 2024 Dr. Sean McBride led an on-campus workshop for Upward Bound[11] students. They were able to build gravity-assisted projectile launchers to learn about energy and motion in roller coasters. The Upward Bound students have plans to ride such rides at Ceder Point Amusement Park in Ohio later this summer as part of their program. Dr. McBride was assisted by several Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) students working with him on research funded by the National Science Foundation (Isabella Mays – William and Mary, Jeffrey Joering – Northern Kentucky University, and Brennon Craigo – Marshall University). Supplies for the workshop were sponsored through the Upward Bound program, the Marshall SPS chapter, and the Society of Physics Student Fund.
In what ways has your SPS Chapter interacted with the professional physics and astronomy community outside of your college/university?
SPS President AJ Messinger attended the 21st annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol on February 22nd, 2024, at West Virginia’s State Capitol in Charleston, WV. Nearly 120 undergraduate participants in total from nine institutions across the state descended on the capitol building to present their research. AJ Messinger was one of two physics majors representing the state of West Virginia. AJ got the opportunity to present to WV policymakers and others in the audience about his research.
Club President AJ Messinger, SPS Secretary Jacob Lee, and SPS Member Joseph Powell all presented their work at two Marshall University-hosted student research events. The Powell and company first presented their research in the field of physics and the Spring 2024 Student Research and Creativity Symposium on April 4th hosted for all undergraduate and graduate students at Marshall University. The three SPS members then presented their research at the Marshall University College of Science Research Expo on April 19th, only hosted for undergraduate and graduate students in the Marshall University College of Science. Both events were a great experience for the three SPS and physics majors.
As mentioned previously above, SPS Member Joseph Powell and SPS President AJ Messinger both were able to attend the 2024 Spring Meeting of the APS Eastern Great Lakes Section at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan that was in conjunction to the SPS Zone 7 Meeting. Joseph presented his research in poster format while AJ presented his research in oral format, both did an excellent job in sharing their research with the professional physics and astronomy community.
What does your SPS Chapter do to interact with the off-campus public community?
On the 22nd and 23rd of June 2023, West Virginia GEAR UP[12] hosted a program for at least 200 middle school students from eleven WV counties at Marshall University. Many STEM activities were available for these students from those at Marshall. Dr. Sean P. McBride from the Physics program, with the help of our members AJ Messinger, Kolbey Walker, and Jacob Lee, put on three, two-hour, motor design workshops. WV Gear Up students got to learn how magnetic fields and currents interact to produce magnetic forces on current loops. Students got to take their motors home with them and the winners with the fastest motors received official Marshall University Society of Physics Students T-shirts! Supplies for the three workshops were sponsored by both the Society of Physics Students Fund and WV GEAR UP.
Approximately 100 rising ninth graders from throughout West Virginia who are part of Marshall University’s annual Health Science and Technology Academy (HSTA) “Fun with Science” Summer Institute had a fantastic experience in the Science of Sound workshop[13] on July 11th. Students saw exciting demonstrations highlighting the basic properties of sound waves and got to make their own musical instruments to take home with them. They were able see the results of phase matching, see sound waves with fire, and feel the vibrations associated with sound among other demonstrations. Supplies for the workshop were sponsored through the HSTA program. The workshop was provided by Drs. Sean and Sachiko McBride along with members from our chapter: AJ Messinger and Jacob Lee.
Around Halloween, Huntington Middle School invited Dr McBride, our chapters SPS club advisor along with Marshall students Lexi Ramey and Dustin Lively to help with this year’s HMS pumpkin drop[14]. Dr. McBride gave a brief lecture to HMS students at the start of the event to explain the relationships between force, change momentum, and duration of collisions so students could incorporate these concepts in their enclosure designs to save their pumpkins from the 4-story fall. The students learned many lessons and were all winners on the day of drop day.
Those on campus and in the community took part in the 60th Annual International Festival[15] held on October 28th in the Don Morris Room of the Memorial Student Center on the Huntington campus of Marshall University. The International festival is one of our club’s most favorite outreach events to participate in each year. This year we were joined by MUAC, with SPS and MUAC being the only two student-run organizations on campus that were invited to host a table at the international festival.
It was a very enjoyable evening shared with friends and family from the surrounding Marshall Community. As usual, it was great to interact with all the kids and young students interested in science! SPS President AJ Messinger and SPS Vice President Liv Stockwin helped with numerous physics demonstrations and provided information alongside MUAC members assisting with demonstrations as well.
Our Chapter of SPS hosted a pinhole camera workshop[16] for students at Highlawn Elementary School. This STEAM center activity provided students with the opportunity to build their very own pinhole cameras and learn about the interesting properties of light. All students who participated had a great time and were even allowed to take their pinhole cameras home with them after the event. Our members Olivia Gandee, Kate Perkins, and AJ Messinger volunteered to assist with this event. This event is a staple among our outreach events, as it allows children to be hands-on with their own experiment. All the supplies for the pinhole cameras were sponsored by the Marshall Chapter of the Society of Physics Students through the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund.
Chapmanville students were able to build DC motors in a motor workshop[17] held on Marshall University Campus. Kolbey Walker and Victoria Maynor, both student officers, were on hand to help with the motor builds. Students got to take their motors home with them and the winners with the fastest motor received official Marshall SPS T-shirts. Chapmanville students learned how magnetic fields and currents interact to produce magnetic forces on current loops. Students used this knowledge to build their motors. All the supplies for the workshop were sponsored by the Marshall Chapter of the Society of Physics Students through the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund.
Our SPS chapter reached out to help MUAC when it needed it. Financially MUAC is a struggling fledgling of an organization. MUAC welcomed first graders and their teachers from the Explorer Academy to campus for some fun astronomy-based learning experiences[18] ranging from telescope viewing of terrestrial objects with the club’s telescopes (weather did not permit star gazing) to observing simulated comet making with liquid nitrogen. Students were greeted with hot chocolate and prizes were provided for the best astronomy-themed coloring projects. The club also welcomed Dr. Laura Stapleton from the Mathematics and Physics Department to discuss information about NASA’s Eclipse Ambassador Program and her life-long love of astronomy. The Society of Physics Students (SPS) sponsored the necessary items needed to make the provided hot chocolate possible.
Students competed to build the fastest motors at Marshall University’s TRIO 2nd Annual STEAM Day[19], Saturday, November 18, 2023, with help from our members Sydney Moore, Jacob Lee, and Dr. Sean P. McBride. Approximately 60 students in total rotated through three one-hour workshops each lasting an hour. Students learned how magnetic fields and currents interact to produce magnetic forces on current loops. Students got to take their motors home with them and the winners with the fastest motor received official Marshall SPS T-shirts. All the supplies for the workshop were sponsored by the Marshall Chapter of the Society of Physics Students through the endowed Society of Physics Students Fund.
Our chapter of SPS and MUAC joined forces to facilitate the exciting opportunity for students to watch the solar eclipse[20] on April 8th, 2024. We had a Solar 60 computerized telescope connected via computer to a larger screen for public viewing on Marshall’s Buskirk Field. Our location was in the line of viewing, with 95% coverage at the peak. We handed out viewing glasses, where nearly 2,000 pairs were supplied via the National Science Foundation, to anyone who asked, until our supply emptied. For over 3 hours – students, faculty, staff, and Huntington families gathered to experience the beauty of a partial moon phase obstruction of the sun. SPS and MUAC members wore identifying t-shirts and roamed the field, taking pictures and answering any questions.
On October 14th, 2023, there was another observable partial eclipse[21]. Unfortunately, it was raining and cloudy, so our viewing event had to be canceled.
On June 13th, 2024, SPS member Darby McGinnis partnered with Assistant Professor Dr. Sachiko McBride, and MUAC member Owen Gibson to provide an array of activities for the students at Highlawn Elementary School[22]. Darby led a demonstration on the capillary action of water. Dr. Sachiko McBride from Marshall’s College of Science and College of Education and Professional Development ran a portable planetarium. Owen provided a telescope and allowed the students to focus on objects through a high-powered lens.
How does your SPS Chapter further the SPS purpose and mission?
Our chapter and our members pride ourselves on the amount of outreach we are able to do in the community, creating excitement around the world of physics and STEM that hopefully impacts and motivates the next generation of scientists. Our chapter of SPS is able to perform more than a dozen outreach events a year, giving us a chance to really interact with the local community. With every outreach event we do from motor workshops to pumpkin drops, we are able to introduce the foundations of a scientific theory, hopefully impacting at least one student who participates in the event. By performing these numerous amounts of outreach events throughout the year, our members become better at communicating scientific topics to an audience that might not be familiar with the concept. By participating, members are also given the chance to improve their communication skills while developing a personal network of contacts in the local community.
As stated in our chapter SPS bylaws[23], which were first drafted (6-21-2021) and approved by the National Director (1-11-2022), our SPS group has striven to be a safe place of community and peer mentoring for fellow students in physics and all majors. We were not able to get alumni regularly involved in our casual peer mentoring this year, but we do hope that will be possible in the future as our numbers grow and more active SPS alumni can be involved. Our informal peer mentoring takes place during our regular meetings.
Our number of active SPS student members in Fall 2023 began at 10 and rose to 13 by the end of Spring 2024. We maintained our chapter membership by consistently holding biweekly meetings in which members could input their ideas. Our officers for the academic year 2023-2024 were as follows: AJ Messinger as President, Liv Stockwin as Vice President, Jacob Lee as Secretary, Victoria Maynor as Treasurer, Kolbey Walker as Social Media Officer, and Peter Burbery as the newly installed Recruitment Officer. The amount of officer roles we provide gives our members a chance to develop leadership experience through helping run daily club tasks.
All available pictures for nearly all events discussed within this report and more are available on our Marshall University SPS website[24] and/or the Marshall University Department of Physics Facebook Page[4], both of which will be up to date by the end of July 2024.
[23] https://www.marshall.edu/physics/files/MU-SPS-Bylaws-1-11-2022.pdf [24] https://www.marshall.edu/physics/society-of-physics-students/
Additional Research Presented:
Darby McGinnis researched in Dr. Nadja Spitzer’s (Marshall Associate Professor) lab, studying how exposure to silver nanoparticles impacts different aspects of the nervous system. Specifically, how environmental levels of AgNPs that bioaccumulate in the brain impact neuronal structures and function. Darby presented this research at Marshall’s College of Science Expo Day and the University Creative Discovery Research Day, both in April.
Our members not only serve the community but excel in their academics:
Those recognized on Marshall’s Presidents List of Fall 2023
- Darby McGinnis
- Kolbey Walker
- Victoria Maynor
Those who were recognized on Marshall’s Dean’s List of Fall 2023
- Liv Stockwin
- Will Youther
- Jacob Lee
Those who were recognized on Marshall’s Presidents List of Spring 2024
- Liv Stockwin
- Jacob Lee
- Kolbey Walker
- Victoria Maynor
- Darby McGinnis
Those who were recognized on Marshall’s Dean’s List of Spring 2024
- Sydney Moore
- Peter Burbery
*Presidents List- for undergraduate students who have a 4.0 grade point average for at least 12 graded hours
**Dean’s List- for undergraduate students who have above a 3.3 grade point average for at least 12 graded hours
Scholarships and Awards:
AJ Messinger received the Bernard & Sylvia Miller Scholarship from the College of Science. From the Physics Department, AJ also received: the Dr. Thomas J. and Mary A. Manakkil Memorial Scholarship and the Alva Dixon Callihan, Donald C. Martin, and Ralph P. Hron Memorial Physics Scholarship.
Jacob Lee received the Outstanding Undergraduate award and the Alva Dixon Callihan John Marshall Scholarship from the Mathematics and Physics Department.
Darby McGinnis received the A. Mervyn Tyson Honors Award for Fall 2023. This award is “presented to a student in an upper-division, interdisciplinary Honors seminar (HON 480) who best demonstrates the qualities of intellectual curiosity and clarity of expression. The recipient of the award is selected by the Dean of the Honors College through nomination by faculty participating in the upper division seminars.”
SPS Activities by Academic Year
Fall 2022 – Spring 2023
Fall 2021 – Spring 2022
Fall 2020 – Spring 2021
Fall 2019 – Spring 2020
Fall 2018 – Spring 2019
Fall 2017- Spring 2018
Fundraising
Fundraising is also an important aspect for our SPS group. The money raised will allow the group to tour graduate research programs and/or national research laboratories along with buy supplies for national build competitions if the desire arises.
Current Fundraising 2024-2025: Help support your local Society of Physics Students chapter at Marshall University by purchasing a SPS club T-shirt! T-Shirts are going for $20 a piece. We have sizes from XXL, XL, and L left. Sizes on hand are on a first come first serve basis. Getting a size larger is recommended to compensate for shrinkage. The shirts are very soft. The shirts have the Marshall University Physics logo on the front right chest area, a Student Government Association logo on the left sleeve, the SPS logo combination on the back and some fun with Maxwell’s equations. We now have an account set-up with PayPal. Anyone who sends money should include the following memo: “(first and last name), ‘T-Shirts,’ (size)”. An example of this would be as follows: Eli Williamson, T-Shirts, Large. Make sure to bring some sort of ID so that we can identify the buyer and give them the proper shirt. To get your hands on one of these, email or stop by Dr. McBride’s office. If you are an Alumni or would like a shirt mailed to you, please email Dr. McBride (mcbrides@marshall.edu) to work out details on postage costs etc. Money can be sent to @MUSPS on PayPal.
National Constitution of the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma
The Marshall University Chapter of The Society of Physics Students Bylaws
Some information in the “About The Society of Physics Students, Purpose and Mission, and History” sections on this page are provided by SPS National
SPS Webpage maintained by Dr. Sean P. McBride, Faculty Advisor of the Marshall University SPS Chapter. Last updated 7-23-2024.