The ISU Physics Club is a student organization open to all majors and participates in fun activities, education, student outreach, and enjoying the science of physics! The Club operates a sixteen-foot-tall trebuchet, with which they chuck pumpkins yearly at Morton's annual Pumpkin Chuckin'. The trebuchet has won first place two years in a row. The Club also hosts a program called Physics on the Road which provides free educational shows about Physics to Boy Scout trips, the Children's Discovery Museum, etc. The ISU Physic Club's newest project is creating autonomous underwater vehicles.
Free physics tutoring is also available, as is a free service to connect students with one-on-one tutors who charge an hourly rate. The ISU Physics Club is led by a student board and advised by Dr. Daniel Holland and Dr. Jay Ansher.
Click here to visit the student-maintained ISU Physics Club website!
Students in the Physics Club are encouraged to become members of the Society of Physics Students (SPS). The only requirement for membership is that you are interested in physics.
The Society of Physics Students (formed in 1968) is a professional association designed for students. Membership through collegiate chapters is open to anyone interested in physics. Besides physics majors, our members include majors in chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, mathematics, medicine, and other fields; your major has nothing to do with membership eligibility!
Click here to learn more about the Society of Physics Students.
The Department of Physics recently started a new chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma, the Physics Honors Society which was formed in 1921. The induction ceremony for new members took place on April 21, 2009, at the Spring Awards Banquet.
Sigma Pi Sigma exists to honor outstanding scholarship in physics; to encourage interest in physics among students at all levels; to promote an attitude of service of its members towards their fellow students, colleagues, and the public; and to provide a fellowship of persons who have excelled in physics. Sigma Pi Sigma's mission is not completed in the induction ceremony with the recognition of academic accomplishment, but continues far beyond recognition, with its members taking a longer view of Honor, Encouragement, Service, and Fellowship. Membership in Sigma Pi Sigma is lifetime membership and the organization has about 75,000 members.
PotR is a physics education group from Illinois State University which strives to reach out to schools and youth groups to promote scientific awareness through free shows. Click here to visit the Physics on the Road website.
Below is the inaugural class of the ISU chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma.
Each year the Physics Club walks in the Homecoming Parade in October.
The Illinois State University Solar Race Team is a multidisciplinary team of students and faculty who volunteer time and energy to advance their skills and the promise of renewable energy--and to race a solar-powered car! Click here to learn more.
The ISU Physics Club participates on the trebuchet team--shown above is "Reggie's Chuckin' Wagon." Click here to view a gallery of trebuchet photos!
