South Dakota Mines Physics Student Organization Wins Another National Recognition
The South Dakota Mines chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) continues its tradition of excellence with another Outstanding Chapter Award from the SPS National Office.
This is the eighth consecutive year the chapter has received this recognition as a top-tier student-led physical sciences organization, a designation given to fewer than 10 percent of all SPS chapters throughout the United States and internationally. The Mines chapter also received a Distinguished Chapter Award in 2016.
The SPS is a professional association designed for students, and membership is open to anyone interested in physics and related fields. SPS operates within the American Institute of Physics (AIP), an umbrella organization for professional physical science societies. SPS chapters are evaluated on their level of interaction with the campus community, the professional physics community, the public and with SPS national programs. The Outstanding Chapter Award recognizes high levels of outreach as well as unique approaches to fulfilling the SPS mission of helping students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community.
“I am continuously impressed by our Society of Physics Students and especially their leadership for the positive impact they have on our students and our broader community through their activities,” says Richard Schnee, Ph.D., head of the physics department at South Dakota Mines. “It is no surprise that they have been consistently earning the highest national honors.”
The SPS chapter at South Dakota Mines is advised by Michael Dowding, senior lecturer in the university's physics department, who was also a finalist for the 2019 National Outstanding Chapter Advisor, and is led by student officers including Charles Winkers, president, Finnian Rogers, vice president, Christopher “Logan” Butsavage, secretary Jonathon Schock, treasurer, and Ryan Cantz, historian.
“Everyone has to take physics, so technically, everyone is a physics student, not just physics majors,” said Dowding. “That’s why everyone is welcome to join. Being involved in all the many activities we do, more than one student has said to me, ‘I feel like I have found my people.’”
Many members of SPS at Mines work on research associated with the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead. The deepest underground laboratory in the United States, SURF houses multiple experiments in areas such as dark matter, neutrino physics, biology, geology and engineering. Mines students have a unique opportunity to engage in world-class science at SURF while completing their degrees.
Each year Mines’ SPS chapter takes part in a list of community outreach and charity activities: Punkin’ Chunkin’, Festival of Lights Parade, Parade of Trees, Neutrino Day activities at SURF, Dark Matter Day, Hardrockers at Summer Nights, Go to Mines, MLK Jr. Day food drive, Trick or Treat for canned goods, Engineers Week, Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics, Women in Science & Engineering Conference, Mines Day at the Capitol and Charity Pig Wrestling.