SPS Invited to the 2008 Quadrennial Congress of Sigma Pi Sigma
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Attention SPS Members:
You are invited to participate in the 2008 Sigma Pi Sigma Quadrennial Congress! The Congress brings together undergraduate physics students, practicing physicists, and physics alumni to address common concerns for the discipline and for society. Make plans now to attend:
Scientific Citizenship: Connecting Physics and Society
2008 Quadrennial Congress of Sigma Pi Sigma
Held at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL
November 6-8, 2008
This meeting is hosted by Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society, but is open to all members of the science community. So check out the program and start planning your SPS chapter’s trip to Congress.
With this theme, the Congress attendees will explore the greater role of the physicist in society through round-table discussions, distinguished speakers, and historical perspectives.
The construction of the first atomic bomb prompted many scientists to engage in government and public organizations like never before, sharing their knowledge of the world to help shape public opinion of science, assist with policy decisions, or to otherwise connect their work with the broader community. This legacy continues today, as physicists work to address current political and social issues such as energy concerns and science curriculum integrity.
Though many different venues, the Congress will provide opportunities for members of the physics community to share their stories about working at the intersection of physics and society, and for attendees to discuss how to use their physics training to positively impact society.
We very much hope you will join us at Fermilab!
The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has seen many significant moments in physics history and is home to many leading high energy research projects. Founding Director Robert R. Wilson committed the laboratory to firm principles of scientific excellence, esthetic beauty, stewardship of the land, fiscal responsibility and equality of opportunity; and the lab has operated under those principles since its founding. For all these reasons, Fermilab is an ideal setting to explore scientific citizenship.
2008 Congress Highlights
The Congress will feature a number of distinguished speakers, including:
- Richard Garwin, IBM Fellow Emeritus at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center and consultant to the U.S. Government on military technology and arms control.
- Young-Kee Kim, Deputy Director of Fermilab and Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago.
- Neal Lane, Senior Fellow of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Rice University.
- Leon Lederman, Physics Nobel Laureate and Director Emeritus (1979-1989) of Fermilab.
- Pier Oddone, Director of Fermilab.
- Jill Tarter, Director, Center for SETI Research at the SETI Institute.
Congress attendees will debate scientific citizenship issues during a series of workshops. The workshops will consist of invited talks by citizen scientists and round-table discussions on the role of the scientist in addressing these issues within the community, society, and government. Workshops include:
- Energy Efficiency, Led by David Goldston, Scholar in Residence at the Woodrow Wilson School and Julia Philips, Director of the Physical, Chemical, & Nano Science Center at Sandia National Laboratories.
- Scientific Citizenship in the Public Eye, Led by Mike Fortner, State Representative in the Illinois General Assembly and Louis Lanzerotti, incoming chair of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) governing board, former mayor and member of his local school board.
- Science Curriculum Integrity, Led by Adrian Melott, founding director of Kansas Citizens for Science.
- Communicating Science to the Public, Led by Aziza Baccouche, president of AZIZA Productions, Inc.
More speakers & workshop leaders to come–watch the Congress website!
All Congress attendees will be treated to tours of Fermilab’s cutting-edge experimental facilities. Anticipated tour stops include the Linear Collider, the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF), the D-Zero detector, the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS) facility, and the Lederman Science Center.
Poster Sessions
Present a research, outreach, or Future Faces of Physics poster at the Congress! Poster sessions will be held on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Abstracts are due October 1, 2008
SPS is engaging in a year of dialogue on student diversity in physics, with the intent of increasing the visibility and focus on this issue for the physics community. The Future Faces of Physics zone meeting kits and Jeopardy game are part of this effort. The Congress will include a special poster session, plenary session, and Jeopardy game focused on the issue of diversity in science. Details on these sessions will be posted on the Congress website as they become available.
The Fermilab grounds boast unique architecture and art. Founding director Robert R. Wilson, a renowned physicist and an accomplished artist and sculptor, believed that a research laboratory should be a cu 123\ltural center for the community and the nation.
In celebration of Wilson’s vision, Congress participants are encourage to submit their 2- and 3-D creations for display and/or judging at the Congress. See the Congress website for details. Entries are due October 19, 2008.
For fundraising ideas, information on trip planning and travel awards, and more program details, visit the Congress website:
www.sigmapisigma.org/Congress/2008/
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