Study & Work Culture

Being open to everybody and making sure all department members can reach their potential and thrive.

Our Goals

The Physics Study & Work Culture Committee is focused on opening up the department to physicists from all backgrounds and making it a welcoming place where everyone can thrive and be academically successful. We are invested in making sure that everybody can become a physicist, and in promoting a cultural change in our department to drop stereotypes, prejudices, and micro and macro aggressions. 
The committee includes representatives from undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, and all levels of faculty. Everyone in the department is welcome to provide input through email, via in person/zoom meetings, as well as through the anonymous inclusion feedback form. The committee presents at departmental gatherings and organizes informational and training events. Meetings between the committee and similar committees in other departments are aimed at establishing best practices and coordinating across departments.

Study & Work Culture Action Plan

  • Improve recruitment and retention practices to reflect best practices that suppress the damaging impact of biases and prejudices.
  • Work with the department to include a plan for physics majors with low or limited previous exposure to physics/calculus, and to develop a PairUP program aimed at increasing communication among first year undergraduates and the rest of the department.
  • Work on identifying research fellowship opportunities, and scholarship possibilities for students and scholars for all levels of prior preparation.
  • Prepare code of conducts and policies to help facilitate the cultural change and the development of a bias-free and bullying-free working and learning environment.
  • Organize community events that reach all our students, faculty, and staff.
  • Support our international colleagues and create the best environment for all.
  • Support all members of our community so we can all thrive.

Department Demographics

We are committed to exposing prejudice and inequality in our department. The first step in our journey is to acknowledge and quantify the problem. Here you can find graphs displaying the demographics of all students and faculty in the Department of Physics.

Demographics

Upcoming Opportunities

We've created an Opportunities page to highlight upcoming conferences and meetings that could be of interest to our students.

Explore Opportunities

Good News!

Washington University is now a sustaining member of the Scholars at Risk Network. Attacks on academic freedom and higher education are frequent, pervasive, and have wide-ranging—at times deadly—consequences for scholars, students, and society at large. These attacks occur in closed societies, where the right to think and speak freely is routinely oppressed, and amid political and economic crises and armed conflict that put scholars and students in especially vulnerable situations. But they also occur in more open, democratic, and stable societies, leaving no country immune from their threat. State and non-state actors, including armed militant and extremist groups, police and military forces, government authorities, off-campus groups, and even members of higher education communities, among others, carry out these attacks, which often result in deaths, injuries, deprivations of liberty, and the upending of scholars’ and students’ academic careers. The Scholars at Risk Network protects scholars suffering grave threats to their lives, liberty and well-being by arranging temporary research and teaching positions at institutions in our network as well as by providing advisory and referral services.

 

Pronouns and Pronunciation

We've added a new page, Pronouns and Pronunciation, to the website for faculty and students who would like to add their personal pronouns to Canvas or create a recording of their name for Canvas or their email signature.

 

Committee Members

Help us to provide the best possible experience for all our undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, research staff, and administrative personnel by contacting the Study and Work Culture Committee or one of the members below in case of concerns and/or if you have any suggestions for improving our program.

Erik Henriksen

Erik Henriksen

Associate Professor of Physics

Erik Henriksen's experimental condensed matter research laboratory utilizes state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques in combination with measurements made at low temperatures and high magnetic fields to explore both the fundamental electronic structures and emergent quantum phenomena of low-dimensional materials. 

Mairin Hynes

Kathryn (Mairin) Hynes

Teaching Professor in Physics

314-935-4495

Mairin Hynes's research focuses on analyzing students' conceptual understanding, problem-solving methods, and attitudes towards physics in order to enhance the Introductory Physics courses and laboratories.

Wolfgang Zober

Wolfgang Zober

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dr. Zober’s scientific interests are primarily in experimental astrophysics. The topics range from detector design and scientific ballooning to measurements of galactic cosmic rays. He is a member of the CALET, SuperTIGER, TIGERISS and ADAPT collaborations.

Resources

Mental Health Resources

International Scholars

Feedback

The Physics Study & Work Culture Committee welcomes input from all members of the community on ways the department can better foster an inclusive environment. Individuals are welcome to set up a one-on-one or group meeting with any of the committee members listed above for a private conversation. Alternatively, comments may be submitted anonymously to a chosen member of the committee or the entire committee using our feedback form.

Submit Feedback

WashU Resources

  • WashU Cares

    WashU Cares assists the university in handling situations involving the safety and well-being of Danforth Campus students, including online reporting.

  • SafeZones

    Undergraduate SafeZones is a peer facilitation group that educates and fosters discussion around LGBTQIA* issues in order to promote the development of a more open and inclusive university community.

  • Uncle Joe's Peer Counseling Resource Center

    Uncle Joe's offers highly trained peer counselors for undergraduates.

  • Mental Health Services

    Mental Health Services (MHS) at WashU is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and affirming community of care for all students.

  • Center for Diversity and Inclusion

    The CDI supports and advocates for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.

  • Bias Reporting

    Reporting system for students, faculty, staff, and community members who have experienced or witnessed incidents of bias, prejudice, or discrimination.