Internal IGC documents


Visitor Resources

 

Connecting to the Internet

Go to https://wireless.psu.edu and follow the instructions

Downloading the Penn State GlobalProtect VPN

This VPN is required for accessing PSU intranet services off-campus Go to https://softwarerequest.psu.edu/Home/SoftwareReleases Find ‘GlobalProtect VPN’ and download

Mail

As a Visiting Scholar, you can arrange for mail to be delivered to the mailroom in 104 Davey Lab. If you are interested in setting this up, please contact Melissa Diamanti, the facilities coordinator, at mxd212@psu.edu, or stop by the Physics Office in 104 Davey during normal business hours.

Department Keys

The key you receive is recorded in your name. Do not exchange or give your keys to another person. You are responsible for these keys; If they are lost or stolen, there is a $20 replacement fee per key. Please return keys to Nick or Melissa before you leave.

Travel

Air travel using Penn State funds requires the use of University-approved travel agents, which can be found at http://www.travel.psu.edu. If the travel is federally funded (This includes NSF funds), a US-flagged carrier must be used when available. Please contact Nick, 321D Whitmore, with any questions.

If you plan to travel internationally, you must submit for TSN approval 30 days prior to the departure date: tsn.psu.edu.

We encourage the use of a purchasing card for all travel expenses. If you prefer, you may use a personal card instead. Please discuss with your PI if you are interested in using a purchasing card.

If you are claiming reimbursement, please give all travel receipts and provide the fund name or IO# that travel will be reimbursed from. Sometimes, a detailed itinerary will be required as well.

Group Meals

All Business meals require itemized receipts and charge slips. A list of attendees, and a valid business purpose for the meal must be given to Nick.

IGC Employee Resources

Activity Reports
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.