Community Potluck 2024
Let’s celebrate the forthcoming holiday season with a Community Potluck! Students can bring food, or just come out to eat, play games, and make friends with fellow PSD students on Thursday, November 21, at 4:30pm, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (WERC), Room 161. Please RSVP here to attend.
Students who bring a dish to share will be awarded a $25 gift card after the event! One gift card per student only.
Inclusive Climate Grants Info Session - Autumn 2024
Interested in learning more about what constitutes a good application for a PSD ODI Inclusive Climate Grant (ICG)? Join the Autumn Quarter ICG Info-Session on Friday, November 15, at 10:00am, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (WERC), Room 161. Don’t forget to bring your ideas and questions!
WIGS+ Autumn 2024 Brunch
Women and Gender Minorities in Graduate Science (WIGS+) are hosting a Fall-themed brunch on Thursday, November 14, at 10 AM in ERC 161! Join us for a cozy morning filled with seasonal treats, warm drinks, and an opportunity to connect with fellow PSD students! RSVP using this link.
Meet the Speaker Series - Autumn 2024 - Dr. Avery August
The Meet-the-Speaker Series continues this Fall on Tuesday, October 22, at 9:00am in BSLC 008, featuring Dr. Avery August from Cornell University. Brunch reception with catering from Roux follows. Please use this link for RSVP.
Your New Home at UChicago: Navigating Campus, the City, and Beyond
Calling all first-year PSD Students! If you’re interested in learning more about UChicago and PSD resources, Chicago’s vibrant history and neighborhoods, and networking with your peers, join us for the Acclimation Info-Sessions and enjoy lunch and bowling on us on Wednesday, October 16, at 10:30am in the William Eckhardt Research Center, Room 161! We hope to accommodate as many students as possible, but space may be limited. RSVP here to attend.
City of Chicago Pride Parade with PSD, BSD, and PME
Join PSD, BSD, and PME in the City of Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Space is limited, and parade participants will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis. You will receive an email confirmation of your place in the parade on June 16th. Please RSVP here if you’re interested in attending.
WIGS+ & WiC+ Spring into Summer Game Day
Join WIGS+ and WiC+ as we wrap up the Spring quarter with a fun game day to help us all Spring into Summer on Tuesday, May 28, at 12:00pm in the ERC Atrium. Let's make the most of this stunning weather with fun games and great company. Get ready to make friends and create joyful memories! Please RSVP here to attend.
WIGS+ & PSD Career Services Crash Course in Careers (CCC) Series: Job Selection & Salary and Benefits Negotiation
Join WIGS+ and the PSD Career Services for part three of our three-part series on Wednesday, May 15, at 12:00pm in ERC 301B. This month, we will explore how to select the best job offer and negotiate your salary and benefits. Lunch will be provided! Let's navigate your career path and secure your worth together! Please RSVP here to attend.
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Social
Join us as we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in community on Friday, May 10, at 10:00am, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC), Room 161. Refreshments will be served. If you plan on attending, please take a moment to RSVP here.
WIGS+ & PSD Career Services Crash Course in Careers (CCC) Series: Job Application and Interviewing
Join WIGS+ and the PSD Career Services for part two of our three-part series on Wednesday, April 17, at 12:00pm in ERC 401B. This month, we will explore how to find and select, fill out, and submit job applications and consider helpful interviewing tips. Lunch will be provided! Let's prepare to land your dream job together! Please RSVP here to attend.
POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: underREPRESENTed in STEM Poster Symposium 2024
***This event is POSTPONED until further notice.***
We invite all PSD students to design a poster about a person or a group of people who have been historically underrepresented in STEM! These posters will be donated to Chicago K-12 schools in an effort to inspire younger students to pursue a career in STEM and learn more about trailblazers in scientific and mathematical fields.
Participants will design a poster about a person or group of people who have been historically underrepresented in STEM. The poster will highlight their contributions to their field and inspire students to learn more about them and their scientific or mathematical achievements. Since these posters will be donated to Chicago schools, please use language that is accessible to elementary, middle, or high school students.
If you plan on participating with a poster, please take a moment to sign up here.
If you plan on attending the event, RSVP here.
WIGS+ & PSD Career Services Crash Course in Careers (CCC) Series: Resume/CV and Cover Letter Writing
Join WIGS+ and the PSD Career Services for a three-part series starting in March on Wednesday, March 27, at 12:00pm in ERC 301B. This month, we will explore resume/CV and cover letter writing, how to do it successfully, and why those components are important for job applications in academic and/or industry settings. Lunch will be provided! Let's craft your success story together! Please RSVP here to attend.
Women’s History Month 2024 Paint & Sip
The ODI and the Women and Gender Minorities in Graduate Science (WIGS+) invite you to an exquisite evening of painting notable women in STEM in honor of Women’s History Month in March 2024! Space is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Admitted attendees will be able to bring a PSD student as a +1 (plus one). Painting supplies will be provided, and snacks and beverages will be served. The event will take place on Monday, March 25, at 4:00pm, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC), Room 161. To secure your spot, please take a moment to RSVP here.
Meet the Speaker Series - Winter 2024 - Dr. Jorge Contreras
The Meet-the-Speaker initiative aims to provide students across BSD, PSD, and PME graduate programs with quarterly opportunities to hear from underrepresented leaders in science about their formative experiences, the adversities they overcame, and their perspectives on diversity and inclusion. The forum will be student-moderated and include a Q&A from the audience, followed by a reception.
Dr. Contreras is a first-generation Latinx scholar with indigenous (Mapuche) and European heritage from Chiguayante, Chile. He conducted his undergraduate and PhD studies at Pontifical Catholic University in Santiago, and his lab works to uncover the molecular basis of intercellular communication that coordinates cellular metabolism and function. His commitment to promoting an equitable scientific community has been widely recognized, including by Cell Press, as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists in America.
Join us to hear from Dr. Contreras on Tuesday, March 5, at 5:00pm, in BSLC 205. Please RSVP by March 1 to attend.
Galentine's Day Brunch Social 2024
WIGS+ and the GRIT Women’s Team invite you to come out and get to know your peers with question prompts and conversation at the Galentine’s Day Brunch! The event will take place on Thursday, February 15, at 10:00am, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC), Room 161. If you plan on attending, please take a moment to RSVP here.
Black History Month Social 2024
Join us as we celebrate Black History Month in community on Tuesday, February 20, at 1:30pm, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC), Room 161. Refreshments will be served. If you plan on attending, please take a moment to RSVP here.
MLK Week Social 2024
Join us as we celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy in community on Thursday, January 18, at 3:00pm, in ERC 161. Free food and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP here by January 17 to attend.
Meet the Speaker Series - Autumn 2023 - Dr. Ruben Gonzalez, Jr.
The Meet-the-Speaker initiative aims to provide students across BSD, PSD, and PME graduate programs with quarterly opportunities to hear from underrepresented leaders in science about their formative experiences, the adversities they overcame, and their perspectives on diversity and inclusion. The forum will be student-moderated and include a Q&A from the audience, followed by a reception.
Dr. Gonzalez, a first-generation Cuban American who grew up in an immigrant household in Miami, obtained his B.S. at Florida International University, Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, and pioneered single-molecule tools at Stanford as a postdoc. His research at Columbia University focuses on the biophysical chemistry of RNA-based molecular machines.
Join us to hear from Dr. Gonzalez, Jr. on Tuesday, November 28, at 5:00pm, in BSLC 205. Please RSVP by November 23 to attend.
Native American Heritage Month (NAHM) Social 2023
Join us as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month in community on Thursday, November 16, at 12:30pm, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC) 161. Free food and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by November 13 to attend.
International Education Week (IEW) Social 2023
Join us as we celebrate International Education Week in community on Monday, November 13, at 3:30pm, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC) 161. Free food and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by November 10 to attend.
Student Leadership and Engagement Fair 2023
Are you interested in learning more about different student leadership and engagement opportunities? Or maybe you’re looking to become a member of a new group or organization with a shared interest? Come and meet representatives from Divisional and University-wide graduate student groups and organizations and learn more about how to get involved! Meet representatives from the Graduate Council, UChicagoGRAD, GRIT, WIGS+, and more! Join us on Thursday, November 2, at 10:00am, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC), room 161. Snacks and refreshments will be provided!
Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) Social 2023
Join us as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) in community on Monday, October 9, at 5:00pm, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC) 161. Free food and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP here to attend.
PSD @ Chicago PRIDE 2023
The PSD Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) and the BSD’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion would like to invite you to participate in our float in the Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25!
Register to participate by June 14 at this link.
WIGS+ Networking Night
Please join the Women and Gender Minorities in Graduate Science (WIGS+) for our first Networking Night on Thursday, May 18, 6:00-8:00pm in the William Eckhardt Research Center in Hyde Park! The event will feature a panel of PSD faculty and industry professionals to share their personal journeys and careers – including panelists from the Polsky Center, Chicago Quantum Exchange, McKinsey, and IDEO. Following the panel, there will be a reception with hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this interest form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Olivia Laxton at olaxton@uchicago.edu or Radhika Sharma at radhikasharma@uchicago.edu
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) 2023 Heritage Month Brunch
Join us as we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in community on Thursday, May 18th, at 10:00am, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC) 161. Free food and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by May 14 to attend.
Women's History Month 2023 - Exhibit and Reception: Celebrating the Women at the Root of Our Scientific Stories
The Physical Sciences Division (PSD) is excited to celebrate Women’s History Month (WHM) 2023. This year, we have invited students to recognize the women in their lives who were an integral part of their decision to pursue a career in STEM.
All students are invited to join us for the WHM 2023 Exhibit and Reception at 3:30 pm on Thursday, March 23, 2023 in William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC), where many of these student reflections will be featured as a visual exhibit. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by March 13th to attend.
Please click here to view the event photos!
Women+ Leadership Fair 2023
Join us in celebrating Women’s History Month 2023 by visiting our Divisional and Departmental Women and Gender Minorities Groups, and learning more about the work they do and how you can join! Snacks and refreshments will be provided. The event will take place on Thursday, March 9th, at 10:00am, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC), room 161.
Student Leadership Fair - Winter 2023
Are you interested in learning more about different student leadership opportunities? Or maybe you’re looking to join a new group or organization with a shared interest? Come and meet representatives from Divisional and University-wide graduate student groups and organizations and learn more about how to get involved! Meet representatives from the Graduate Council, UChicagoGRAD, GRIT, WIGS+, and more! Join us on Tuesday, February 28th, at 2:00pm, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC), room 161. Snacks and refreshments will be provided!
Black History Month (BHM) 2023 Social
Join us as we celebrate Black History Month in community on Thursday, February 2nd, at 4:00pm, in ERC 161. Free food and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP here by January 29th to attend.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, JR. (MLK) Week 2023 Trivia Night
Please join us in celebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Week 2023 by bringing your friends and your knowledge of MLK's life and legacy to the MLK Week 2023 Trivia Night! You can come with a team of up to five (5) students total, or form one on the spot! There will be prizes for the winning team, and free food and refreshments for all!
Join us on Friday, January 20, 2023, at 4:00pm, in the William Eckhardt Research Center (ERC) 161.
If you plan on attending, please take a moment to RSVP here.
Women and Gender Minorities in Graduate Science (WIGS+) Fall Brunch
Join the Women and Gender Minorities in Graduate Science (WiGS+) for our kickoff Fall Brunch on November 17th at 11:00am. Food from Medici, free succulent plants, arts/crafts, new friends, and more! RSVP required (deadline November 7th).
We look forward to seeing you there!
International Education Week (IEW) - Movie Showing
The third week of November is International Education Week (IEW)! IEW is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. Join us in watching “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 4:00pm, in ERC 301B. Snacks and refreshments will be provided! RSVP here.
Native American Heritage Month (NAHM) Events
Please join us in celebrating NAHM with three events this month – two podcast listening parties and a movie! Snacks and refreshments will be provided at each event!
Podcast Party: "Indigenous Science with Dr. Jessica Hernandez" - is Western science always the best science? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Marcia Belsky discuss Indigenous methods to combat climate change with Indigenous scientist and author Dr. Jessica Hernandez.
Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 10:30am in ERC 161. RSVP here.
Movie Showing: “She Sings to the Stars” - the endless desert. A Native American grandmother lives alone tending her corn. Her half-Mexican grandson and a white, aging magician are stranded. No water. A river of stars. Everything changes: anything is possible.
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 4:00pm in ERC 301B. RSVP here.
Podcast Party: "What is Native Science?" - in this episode, the hosts look at the Indigenous knowledge and science that produced the first Thanksgiving and the ways Indigenous knowledge has been dismissed by modern Western science. Kelsey Dokis-Jensen of the Indigenous STS group at the University of Alberta joins in to talk about her research on caribou populations, which combines Indigenous knowledge and modern research methods.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 2:00pm in ERC 301B. RSVP here.
Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) - Virtual Trivia
Virtual Trivia Contest – October 12
You will be able to test your knowledge of notable Hispanic and Latine scientists and their contributions to their fields. Virtual trivia will take place on October 12. The questionnaire will be open from 9:00am-5:00pm. The first ten (10) students who answer all trivia questions correctly will be eligible to win a prize!
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month - Virtual Trivia
Virtual Trivia Contest – May 12, 18, and 24
You will be able to test your knowledge of notable AAPI scientists and their contributions to their fields. Virtual trivia will take place on three days – May 12, May 18, and May 24. Each day, the questionnaire will be open from 9:00am-5:00pm. Students who answer all trivia questions correctly will be eligible to win a prize!
HLX Group: A Day in the Life with Angela Olinto
A Day in the Life of PSD Dean Angela Olinto
Presented by the Hispanic LatinX Resource Group of University of Chicago
Angela Olinto is Dean of the Division of the Physical Sciences and the Albert A. Michelson Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, and the Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago.
Olinto received a B.S. in Physics from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1981, and Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987. She is best known for her contributions to the study of the structure of neutron stars, primordial inflationary theory, cosmic magnetic fields, the nature of the dark matter, and the origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays, gamma-rays, and neutrinos.
Annual Staff Awards Ceremony
In Spring 2021, PSD members nominated staff members for the 2nd Annual Staff Awards, recognizing their dedication, hard work, and commitment to the PSD. Read about this year's ceremony and winners.
Check back to nominate a staff member in Spring 2022.
Community Conversation: Jackie Serrato, South Side Weekly
The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics EDI Community Engagement Working Group hosted reporter and "barrio" journalist Jackie Serrato of the South Side Weekly and manager of Spanish translation for the Chicago Sun-Times, on Nov. 9. Sponsored by the PSD EDI Inclusive Climate Grants.
Hispanic Heritage Month
The UChicago Hispanic LatinX Resource Group hosted a coffee tasting with Chef Ambrocio Gonzalez from the award-winning La Catedral Café in Little Village on Tuesday, Oct. 26 for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Community Conversation: South Side Segregation
The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics EDI Community Engagement Working Group hosted author and reporter Natalie Moore for "Community Coversation: South Side Segregation" on October 19. Sponsored by the PSD EDI Inclusive Climate Grants.
International Women's Day Panel moderated by Dean Angela V. Olinto
To celebrate United Nations International Women's Day on March 8, PSD EDI hosted a panel moderated by Angela V. Olinto, Dean of the Physical Sciences.
Black History Month
To commemorate Black History Month in February, the PSD hosted programs intended to amplify Black voices from our student body, community, and from South Side arts and culture. These included a GRIT and PSD student panel, a community engagement panel, and a spoken word event.
Redefining the Landscape: Women in STEM
Redefining the Landscape: Women in STEM highlighted a number of women learning, teaching, and researching at the University of Chicago PSD and PME. The exhibition and book displayed profiles of female scientists who span many generations and represent a diversity of programs and interests. They opted to recount pivotal moments, challenges surmounted, and proudest accomplishments. Embedded in their narratives are paths forged through persistence and determination.
This exhibition was on view in the ERC atrium and online Spring 2020. View event photos from the opening reception.
View the full exhibition book (PDF) here.
Out in the PSD & PME
In October 2019, the Out in the PSD & PME Exhibit and Speaker Series celebrated the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies in STEM.
The exhibit featured portraits of our community members and narratives about the often life-long process of coming out.
View the full exhibition book (PDF) here.
See our full list of EDI events.
