Support the 2008 Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference
The 44th CUPC will be taking place at the University of Toronto, October 16th - 20th, 2008.
Our Invited Guest Speakers so far are:
Lawrence Krauss
John Polanyi, Nobel Laureate
Lee Smolin
The Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference (CUPC) unites undergraduate physics students from universities throughout Canada during a 4 day period to present talks and posters, but above all to meet other students. They also get a chance to discover a Canadian city and its university campus.
Every year, nearly 200 undergraduate students in physics (including engineering physics/science, astronomy, physical chemistry, biophysics, mathematical physics, etc.) and professors and invited speakers and guests from across Canada gather for the Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference (CUPC). This event, first held in 1965, is a wonderful opportunity for students to present the results of undergraduate research projects and is for many, their first professional conference experience. This is a unique event in our country - CUPC is a wonderful opportunity for all those involved: students, professors and sponsors.
The Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference brings together undergraduate students from universities all over Canada, to present talks and posters, typically on research they have performed. Due to the broad range of research being performed at Canadian institutions, topics typically seen are drawn from fields such as Astrophysics, Particle Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Medical Physics, and Biophysic
s.The University of Toronto has the honour of hosting this conference in 2008 (October 16th, 2008 – October 20th, 2008), and the organization committee is made up of University of Toronto Physics and Astronomy undergraduates. In addition to the student presentations, there are also special guest speakers who are at the forefront of their respective fields, as well as time to tour the facilities that the hosting university has to offer.
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of physics-related activities:
- Every student who registers is invited to present the results of research done in the course of their studies. Two types of presentation are available: a 15 minute talk or a poster outlining the key points of the research. Both types of presentation are judged by a panel of professors and graduate students and all presenters receive valuable feedback from the panel. These activities allow participants to improve their presentation skills and to be become better scientific speakers.
- Guided tours of local research institutes and companies with strong research and development departments are also planned during the conference. Through this enriching experience, students learn what the hot research topics currently are in physics in the area surrounding the host university.
- Well-known guest speakers will be invited to discuss their most current and exciting research. Conference attendees can not only discover different branches of physics but also find out more about careers in physics. In other words, learn what it is like to be a professional physicist.
- Various social activities, such as a a pub/café crawl and the closing banquet will give attendees a chance to relax, chat with fellow students about life in their part of Canada and, naturally, science. We believe this sort of exchange lays the foundation for future nation-wide collaboration.
Clearly, this is a unique event for physics students in this country and everyone at the University of Toronto looks forward to meeting you all in October!
