In this edition of the Friday Newsletter, we have a look at a recent “Women in Physics” networking event, look forward to resumption of social events, and celebrate Bryson DeChambeau.
Contents
CHAIR’S WEEKLY MESSAGE
“Let’s Go … Carefully”
The messages have come repeatedly in the past two weeks. SMU community COVID-19 cases, both active and daily, are plummeting. The hard work of students, staff, and faculty to vaccinate, mask, and socially distance when possible, is driving down the influence of the virus at SMU.
We’ve been here before. It’s wise, when the enemy is in full retreat but still lingers near the edge of the battlefield, not to declare victory and go home. A clever enemy bides its time, waits for weakness, and exploits it. SARS-CoV-2 has proven to be that enemy, and we know that it will take advantage of complacency. We know it will grossly exploit those who do not (or cannot) get vaccinated. In the relentless drive to replicate, this virus uses us to its advantage. Our weapon is science, the ability to reliably predict an outcome based on the totality of knowledge and theory that precedes the moment.
I offer these notes of caution because I am using this newsletter, in part, to report that with cases hitting lows akin to the summer months before the surge, I would like to resume our departmental social events. I have taken this decision in consultation with department administration, including our staff and the Associate and Assistant Chairs of the department.
With that in mind, let’s talk about how we’re going to proceed. Wednesdays, we will see the resumption of the “Hbar Coffee Bar” and Fridays we will see the resumption of Department Lunch. Details are below. These activities should not be seen as free reign for normalcy. If you’re socializing but not eating, you should be masked in compliance with the SMU mask policy. Going outside and socializing is still the best move, and people are encouraged to do that if weather permits. But we should start coming back together in places and spaces and using this moment to reforge the bonds of community severed by the pandemic.
We nevertheless should do so responsibly and cautiously. We don’t want to be the reason the COVID case chart starts climbing again.
This week’s Friday newsletter looks at a recent “Women in Physics” networking event, the first Society of Physics Students event of the academic year, and the bestowing of the SMU “Emerging Leader Award” to professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau.
Sincerely,
Stephen Jacob Sekula Chair, Department of Physics |
DEPARTMENT VIEWS
REMINDER: No Speaker Series Events from Sep. 27 – Oct. 11; Catch Up On Past Events!
The Department’s Speaker Series have paused for a few weeks starting Sep. 27. We encourage you to catch up on past talks from the series, available in the playlist below. We’ll resume events in October after fall break.
Learn more: https://www.physics.smu.edu/web/seminars/
All past speaker series events since August 2020 are available in our YouTube playlist.
Women in Physics Networking Luncheon
Physics faculty, students, and staff who are also women gathered for a networking event at the Founders Room in the Meadows Museum on Sep. 29, 2021. The event hosted 16 total participants and was centered on a lunch and games to help people get to know one another and forge new connections. The goal was to make sure that this community was aware of its existence, size, and diversity, and to promote new or sustained connections.
Participants at one of the two tables at the event. 
Participants at the second table. Not shown: Prof. Jodi Cooley, who took photographs and organized the event.
While representation of women in our department has increased in the last 20 years, it is still the case that women are underrepresented in our department relative to their proportion in the general population. For example, 27% of our full-time faculty are also women, and while this is significantly increased from 2008 (when it was 0%) there is still work to do to promote representation and diversity at the faculty level. As is typical in most sciences, women find better representation at the level of undergraduate students. In our program, 38% of all our majors or minors (totaling 16 students at the sophomore level or above) are also women. Graduate students who are also female, however, comprise 20% of our current graduate population (21 students).
It’s worth noting that 75% of the leadership of the SMU SPS chapter is comprised of students who are also women. In addition to statistics like these, it’s notable that our department was also recognized several years ago for having two consecutive graduating classes of majors that were more than 50% female, which is not yet a common occurrence among physics programs in the United States.
While some of these numbers may seem positive, it is also the case that female students often don’t know how many other majors or minors are also women. The most common statement heard at these kinds of networking events is, “I had no idea there were this many women in physics at SMU!” This is how communities start, first by people with commonalities being able to find one other.
Participants in the event played a game based on the book, “Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World” by Rachel Ignotowsky. A bespoke set of flash cards about the famous scientists in the book was created so that pairs of participants could engage in a quiz-style game. Each person places a card on their forehead so that only their partner can see the name and description on the card. The partner then quizzes the person with facts, and the person holding the card must guess who is on it. This built camaraderie but also helped educate about women who have changed the world through their discoveries.
The department was pleased to provide support for this event and welcomes suggestions for other networking events to help communities form and sustain.
What’d I Miss?
We all get too many emails from the University and College. Here are a few things you might have missed this week.
- All: As hinted by Provost Elizabeth Loboa in her previous (Sep. 24) weekly update, we should expect some big news in the coming weeks on the ManeFrame super-computing system. This system, currently in its “Phase 2” configuration (ManeFrame II), is already undergoing planning for its Phase 3 implementation (ManeFrame III). That process has entailed discussions in a committee consisting of scientific computing faculty and OIT research support and staff, with a focus on enhancing memory, CPU, GPU, and disk storage resources for ManeFrame III. As stated by Provost Loboa, “Be on the lookout for an exciting announcement in the coming weeks concerning SMU’s next generation of high-performance computing.” (“Weekly Update,” Provost Elizabeth Loboa, Sep. 24, 2021).
- Graduate Students: Close to completing your Ph.D. (or Masters) thesis? Sign up for the “Three-Minute Thesis Competition” hosted by the Moody School. A registration link for the competition was sent in the email from the “smugrad” account on Sep. 28, 2021. Participate and you might win some fabulous (cash) prizes! The event will take place 12-1pm on Friday, Nov. 12. Registration closes on Oct. 22! (“Three Minute Thesis Competition Registration Now Open!”, smugrad account, Sep. 28, 2021)
- All: You are invited to register to participate in the re-dedication of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center, which has undergone a fantastic transition in the past 2 years. A reception follows the ceremony, so go celebrate and then grab some snacks and socialize. Registration for the event is available in the email. (“Join us Friday for the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Rededication”, from the Office of the President at SMU, Sep. 28, 2021)
- Faculty: While an upcoming Town Hall for Arts and Humanities is intended to foster dialogue between the Provost and those areas as regards the “Road to R1,” STEM faculty are encouraged to participate in support of their colleagues in the Arts and Humanities. Due to the way in which the roadmap for achieving R1 status was unveiled, our colleagues in the Arts and Humanities have expressed a sense of alienation. Arts and Humanities should always be co-equal partners with the Basic, Applied, and Social sciences in making a great university. The most creative and successful people generally embody the best traits across many or all of these areas. Faculty are encouraged to show community support for colleagues in Arts and Humanities as we all consider about what is means to be the greatest version of SMU, including world-class research support. Details about the town hall were sent by the Provost. (“Invitation to a Faculty Town Hall on Arts and Humanities”, Provost Elizabeth Loboa, Sep. 28, 2021)
- Faculty and Staff: Next week (Oct. 5-10) is “Faculty and Staff Days” at the SMU Meadows Museum of the Arts. The museum is home to a fabulous collection of Spanish art and is, generally, a beautiful intellectual and contemplative space. For more details about the benefits to staff and faculty during this period, see the message from the museum. (“Faculty/Staff Days at the Meadows Museum Next Week”, sent by the Meadows Museum information email account, Sep. 28, 2021)
- Graduate Students: The Moody School is hosting a family-friendly picnic on Oct. 23. All graduate students (and their families) are welcome! For details, see the weekly Moody School newsletter. (“Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies Newsletter 9.30.2021”, sent by the smugrad email account, Sep. 30, 2021)
REMINDER: Check Out the New Introductory Mechanics Laboratory Activities
Prof. Jingbo Ye and Laboratory Manager Rick Guarino are eager to welcome members of the department, especially faculty, to tour the new introductory mechanics laboratory activities developed and deployed over the last two years. The department has been embarked on supporting this laboratory reform effort for several years, culminating in the current deployed upgrades and reforms. These reforms were made possible not only by faculty involvement, especially through the Undergraduate Committee, but also through the lab fees that students pay as part of enrolling in our lab courses. Those fees go to support these academic laboratories.
Ph.D. Candidate and Teaching Assistant Sully Billingsley helps students with their lab apparatus. 
Undergraduates engage in data-taking activities. 
Prof. Jingbo Ye assists students in their data analysis.
The best time to visit PHYS 1105 (introductory mechanics) labs are:
- Tuesday and Thursday: 1:50 – 3:20pm, 4:50 – 6:20pm
- Wednesday and Friday: 1:20 – 2:50pm, 4:20 – 5:50pm.
Please note that data collection, the most active phase of any period, happens in the first half of the listed time ranges. Data analysis occupies the remainder of the period.
All are welcome to stop by, no appointments needed! Prof. Ye and Mr. Guarino would appreciate constructive feedback from faculty visitors once they have had a chance to observe the labs.
Resumption of the Hbar Coffee Bar and Friday Lunch!
Now that COVID-19 is being brought under control on campus, the department is happy to announce the resumption of weekly coffee breaks and the Friday lunch.
We will have our first coffee break on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 2:30pm (1 hour) in its new location, FOSC 16. Faculty, staff, and students are all welcome to drop in, grab some coffee and snacks, chat with others, and build new connections in the physics department. This is a great way to get to know, or meet for the first time, peers and mentors!
The Friday Lunch will be at noon on Oct. 8. We’ll gather at the Main Office (FOSC 102) and walk over to the Umphrey Lee Dining Hall. Weather-permitting, grab food to go (or you can pack your own lunch) and we’ll gather outside and eat there. If weather is poor, we will select an indoor space (e.g. in the dining hall or in an adjacent space).
FACULTY NEWS
If you have something to share please feel free to send it along. Stories of your activities in research, the classroom, and beyond are very welcome!
STAFF NEWS
The department staff continue to work on behalf of Academic Operations (Lacey Breaux) and Research Operations (Michele Hill). They can be contacted for assistance, or to make appointments for input and help, through the Department Main Office (FOSC 102).
STUDENT NEWS
If you have something to share please feel free to send it along. Stories of students in research, the classroom, internships or fellowships, awards, etc. are very welcome!
First Society of Physics Student Event
The SPS hosted its first event of the academic year on Sep. 27 at 7pm. The event was organized as a meet-and-greet networking event with free pizza. Current SPS members and leaders were there, along with four faculty and new graduate and undergraduate students students, for a total of about 20 participants. SPS President Abigail Hays gave an overview of the research in the department and faculty involved in research were discussed and, if in the room, introduced. You can learn more about all the research opportunities in our department from our research website:
https://www.physics.smu.edu/web/research/
The SPS is a student-led organization. Prof. Randy Scalise serves at the faculty advisor to the SPS. The chapter has consistently ranked among the very best of the 800+ chapters in the U.S. The current officers are:
- Abigail Hays – President
- Katherine Scalise – Vice President
- Stephanie Gilchrist – Secretary
- Jacob Armstrong – Treasurer
Abigail Hays – President 
Katherine Scalise – Vice President 
Stephanie Gilchrist – Secretary 
Treasurer: Jacob Armstrong
ALUMNI NEWS
If you are an alum of the doctoral, masters, majors or minor programs in Physics at SMU, or have worked in our program as a post-doctoral researcher, and wish to share news with the community, please send your story to the Physics Department and we’ll work with you to get it included in a future edition.
Bryson DeChambeau Honored with 2021 SMU Emerging Leader Award
Professional golfer and veteran of the SMU undergraduate physics program, Bryson DeChambeau, was awarded the “Emerging Leader Award” at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on the evening of September 30. He was noted for how he is altering the sport of golf through an investigative approach that considers many factors previously neglected or dismissed in the game.
This event kicked off Homecoming Weekend and brought together over 600 guests in the Armstrong Field House for a night of celebration. SMU annually honors four outstanding leaders. These are alumni who have made great impacts through philanthropy, business and civic life. The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor the University can bestow upon its graduates. The event is hosted by President R. Gerald Turner and the SMU Alumni Board.
Preceding Bryson’s address was a short video that featured Bryson both as a golfer and a scientist. Scenes from SMU depicted him in the classroom and featured Prof. Roberto Vega and Bryson’s classmates. Prof. Jodi Cooley was interviewed for the video and shared stories of Bryson’s character, achievement, and impact on future scholar-athletes.
Bryson addressed the assembled guests and thanked his mentors at SMU for the impact they had on his life. He had to change his plans at the last minute to participate in the event in-person due to his advancement in a longest drive competition that is ongoing right now. Bryson and his US teammates won the 2021 Ryder Cup just three days ago, reclaiming it for the US from Europe, and two days ago he drove a golf ball 412 yards to advance in the ongoing drive competition. His address was in the form of a touching video he filmed for the evening, and guests were moved by his remarks and by the words of his mentors on the occasion of this award.
THE BACK PAGE
SMU (and Dallas Hall) Ignited!
Starting September 30 at 8pm, Dallas Hall now is the canvas for a light and sound show that is based on the new capital campaign, “SMU Ignited.” It is 5 minutes long and runs every 10 minutes. Go check it out!
