Student Physics Club Gains National Recognition

The National Society of Physics Students has recognized the UCF chapter as an Outstanding Chapter for the 2017-18 year.

Faculty Advisor Costas Efthimiou, Ph.D., credits a dedicated student leadership team and a diverse, dynamic schedule of events throughout the year for the recognition.

“It’s a great honor,” Costas said. “This is our first full year back after a hiatus, so it says a lot about the quality of our programming to receive this award within the first year.”

Costas characterizes SPS as a student club dedicated to preparing members for professional careers. Some of the skills students can pick up include presenting research papers at conferences, how to submit grant applications and the value of teamwork and collaboration. The weekly meetings of SPS feature guest speakers, physics experiments and fun teaching games like physics Jeopardy.

“They do everything a professional will do eventually,” Costas said.

Current President Kevin Fernando appreciates the award putting UCF’s chapter among the top clubs in the U.S. It’s a validation of the hard work put in over the past year promoting the physical sciences in the local community, providing pre-professional resources for undergraduates and empowering women and minorities in historically disenfranchised positions, he said.

“The award marks a historic reanimation of our local chapter, which will empower our members and those close to us to strive to become the best professionals they can be,” Fernando said.