APS-IDEA
The Penn State Physics department is a member of the APS Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance (APS-IDEA). APS-IDEA is a new initiative with a mission of empowering and supporting physics departments, laboratories, and other organizations to identify and enact strategies for improving equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). It will do so by establishing a community of transformation.
Conference for Undergrad Women in Physics
The goal of APS CUWiP is to help undergraduate women continue in physics by providing them with the opportunity to experience a professional conference, information about graduate school and professions in physics, and access to other women in physics of all ages with whom they can share experiences, advice, and ideas. The national and local organizing committees of APS CUWiP strive to create a welcoming environment for all, including undergraduate women and gender minorities. Learn more at: https://sites.psu.edu/cuwip2023/
Physics and Astronomy for Women+
PAW+ (Physics and Astronomy for Women+) is a club of undergraduates, grad students, and post-docs dedicated to advancing the status of women, gender minorities, and underrepresented groups in Physics and Astronomy by providing a network of support and a forum to discuss systemic bias in these fields. Anyone is welcome to join us for social events, professional development opportunities, outreach activities, and more!
Rainbow Science Network
The Rainbow Science Network is a list of research groups committed to maintaining an inclusive environment, where faculty members have received training in LGBTQ+ issues.
The Society of Physics Students (SPS)
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a club at Penn State dedicated to bringing together those interested in physics. Anyone with any level of knowledge in physics (even none) is welcome to join! Make new friends, participate in cool experiments, and enjoy our lounge in 219 Osmond! We’d love to meet you! Meetings are every Monday, during the school year, from 5-6 PM in our lounge. For more information please email our president Jacob Rea spspres@psu.edu or our advisor Dr. Mike Smitka at mts56@psu.edu.


About our wordmark
Monica The IGC wordmark was created by Monica Rincon Ramirez, while she was a graduate student at the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (IGC). Monica enjoys drawing new connections between fundamental theory and observations. Her graduate work includes specialized topics in general relativity, loop quantum gravity, and quantum fields in cosmological backgrounds. In particular, her thesis work focused on finding effective quantum corrections to gravitational phenomena from spinfoams, and applications to cosmology. She received her PhD in 2024.

The wordmark symbolizes the scope and variety of research at the IGC. The base of the image represents quantum gravity, evoking the quantum geometrical picture from spinfoams and loop quantum gravity. These are among the approaches to fundamental questions studied at the Center for Fundamental Theory. The middle of the image represents the Center for Theoretical and Observational Cosmology by galaxies embedded in a smooth surface, characteristic of spacetime in general relativity and the much larger physical scales studied in cosmology. Finally, at the top, the surface curves to an extreme, representing a supermassive black hole accompanied by an energetic jet. These elements depict an active galactic nucleus, inspired by Centaurus A. Just to the right, a pair of black holes approaches merger. This top portion of the wordmark represents the Center for Multimessenger Astrophysics, which specializes in the study of high-energy phenomena in the universe.