On Wednesday, November 20th, the Graduate Students of the Department of Physics hosted their sixth annual Washington University Physics Research Symposium (WUPRS) - an event that has become a cornerstone of research collaboration and community building within the department.
This graduate student-driven initiative, which began in 2018, continues to serve as an inclusive platform for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, research staff, and faculty to come together and share their work in a relaxed, low-pressure environment.
The symposium's primary goal is to foster communication across disciplines and career stages, creating an opportunity for individuals from various backgrounds to engage in meaningful discussions about research. Whether presenting their own work or offering feedback to others, attendees from all levels of the academic and research ladder participate in cultivating a thriving research culture at Washington University.
In addition to offering an informal space for presentations, the event also serves as a forum for skill development. Researchers and presenters receive valuable advice on improving both their research and presentation techniques. This year’s symposium emphasized the importance of collaborative feedback, with many participants sharing cross-disciplinary discussions to aid in refining their work.
As part of the event, a poster competition was held, allowing undergraduate and graduate students to showcase their research in visual form. The competition recognized the most outstanding posters and presentations, with awards given to the top presenters in each category.
The undergraduate poster awards were presented as follows:
In the graduate category, the competition was particularly tight, with two students sharing the top honors:
The Washington University Physics Research Symposium continues to be an important annual event that highlights the department's commitment to fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment. As it grows each year, the symposium serves as a testament to the contributions of graduate students in organizing and advancing scientific discourse within the department. The event not only enhances the visibility of student research but also strengthens the overall research community at Washington University.
