Drexel SPS receives third consecutive outreach award
Naomi Parikh
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: News
The Drexel University chapter of Society for Physics Students received the Marsh W. White Outreach Award from the American Institute of Physics for the third consecutive year.
"I think it brings prestige to the Drexel chapter as well as the undergraduate program," Roberto Ramos, SPS adviser and assistant professor of physics at Drexel, said. "It's also an interesting situation where you have the undergraduate students actually writing the proposals and getting that experience."
Amanda White and Alyssa Wilson, sophomore and senior physics majors and SPS president and director of outreach, respectively, co-wrote the proposal that addressed starting a physics tutoring program at a local middle school.
"I was proud to have had our program recognized by the committee and excited that we now have extra support to continue it," Wilson said.
Wilson said winning the award for the third year in a row shows the creativity of SPS, as well as the students' wish to share physics with others.
"I think the fact that we have been able to secure support in this way for three years speaks to the creativity of our group, and more importantly, our desire to show others how interesting physics can be," Wilson said.
White said without the help of the outreach award as well as the physics department, the mentorship program described in the proposal might not have been possible.
"It is really great that SPS has been able to receive this award for the last three years," White said. "It has really helped us expand our outreach program tremendously."
Ramos said the award gives SPS a $300 grant, which the chapter plans to use to set up the mentoring program between the society's students and a middle school.
The proposal focused on a program that would continue throughout a whole academic year, with Drexel physics students mentoring middle school students.
"We have focused on a single class of middle school students at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, since we thought they would have a more meaningful exposure to physics if we met them on a regular basis," Wilson said. "This program runs for the entire academic year, and we intend to continue it in years to come."
"I think it brings prestige to the Drexel chapter as well as the undergraduate program," Roberto Ramos, SPS adviser and assistant professor of physics at Drexel, said. "It's also an interesting situation where you have the undergraduate students actually writing the proposals and getting that experience."
Amanda White and Alyssa Wilson, sophomore and senior physics majors and SPS president and director of outreach, respectively, co-wrote the proposal that addressed starting a physics tutoring program at a local middle school.
"I was proud to have had our program recognized by the committee and excited that we now have extra support to continue it," Wilson said.
Wilson said winning the award for the third year in a row shows the creativity of SPS, as well as the students' wish to share physics with others.
"I think the fact that we have been able to secure support in this way for three years speaks to the creativity of our group, and more importantly, our desire to show others how interesting physics can be," Wilson said.
White said without the help of the outreach award as well as the physics department, the mentorship program described in the proposal might not have been possible.
"It is really great that SPS has been able to receive this award for the last three years," White said. "It has really helped us expand our outreach program tremendously."
Ramos said the award gives SPS a $300 grant, which the chapter plans to use to set up the mentoring program between the society's students and a middle school.
The proposal focused on a program that would continue throughout a whole academic year, with Drexel physics students mentoring middle school students.
"We have focused on a single class of middle school students at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, since we thought they would have a more meaningful exposure to physics if we met them on a regular basis," Wilson said. "This program runs for the entire academic year, and we intend to continue it in years to come."
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