Alexandra Detweiler

Biography

I am a fourth year physics and astrophysics undergraduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, also enrolled in their co-terminal health physics master's degree program. I currently serve as president of Illinois Tech's SPS chapter, and it has proved to be the most rewarding leadership opportunity I have been involved in. As president, I focus on fostering a familial and encouraging atmosphere within Illinois Tech's small physics department through events like movie nights, physics-themed game nights (particularly Pictionary, which has become a fast favorite), and department-wide luncheons. Outside of physics, I am interested in music, philosophy, reading, and writing. Among many other things, physics has taught me that things that seem quite daunting at first are often more doable than they seem. For example, at the start of my sophomore year of college I began taking private lessons on the French horn, and it's now a serious passion of mine. Quite recently, I've been teaching myself how to knit and crochet, and I now have many different scarves and hats to show for it. Last year, I completed National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and I plan to do the same this year. In years to come, my goal is to learn another language and read as many books as humanly possible.