Participating in the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Princeton University Jan. 20–22, 2023, are (from left) Cadets Abby Fiorillo ’25, Angelina Garcia ’25, Grace Waters ’23, and Talli Tarring ’24.—Photo provided by cadets in attendance.
Cadets Grace Waters ’23, Talli Tarring ’24, Abby Fiorillo ’25, and Angelina Garcia ’25 participated in the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, Jan. 20–22, 2023. All four cadets are members of VMI’s Women in Science and Engineering group, known as WiSE, in which Tarring serves as president, and Fiorillo serves as vice president.
At the conference, Waters presented her capstone research results, “Multi-wavelength Polarization Measurements of Be Stars,” which she worked on with Col. Gregory A. Topasna, Ph.D., professor in the VMI Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The American Physical Society sponsored the cadets’ conference attendance. Those interested applied through the APS platform in September 2022 and were notified in November of their acceptance.
Only undergraduates—mainly women—attend the conference, according to Daniela M Topasna, Ph.D., professor in the VMI Department of Physics and Astronomy, who accompanied the cadets to Princeton. “This gives them a community in which they feel comfortable to share and learn from experiences as a woman STEM major,” said Topasna. “It is a great learning experience outside VMI’s comfort zone. For many, it is their first time attending a professional conference. They have the opportunity to attend workshops and plenary talks and to hear from professors, researchers, and graduate students.”
Col. Daniela M. Topasna, Ph.D., professor in the VMI Department of Physics and Astronomy, said the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Princeton University is an opportunity for women in STEM to network and discover internship, graduate school, and career opportunities.—Photo provided by cadets in attendance.
At the conference, cadets heard from professional women about their career paths and life experiences and how they overcame challenges and became successful. Topasna said she worked with cadets on their resumes, which proved helpful with the conference’s career fair, where participants learned about internships, graduate school, and career opportunities. It also provided good networking opportunities.
“Although the conference is sponsored by the physics society, undergraduates from other disciplines can and do attend; it emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of STEM fields and of research,” Topasna said. “What else can be more inspiring?”
Waters said she attended because it was an opportunity to engage with others interested in STEM and a way to step out of her comfort zone. It allowed her to engage more than she had in the past.
“We had the freedom to learn and do wherever and whatever we wanted,” said Waters. “It emphasized physics and personal experiences, allowing me to see different perspectives on both subjects.”
Fiorillo, VMI’s WiSE vice president, has an Army ROTC contract and said she wasn’t sure how beneficial the conference would be. She was pleasantly surprised.
“I met a professor from West Point who I connected with very well,” said Fiorillo. “Since then, I have been in contact with her to try to obtain an internship in Alabama this summer, and I am very thankful I went to the conference because of this opportunity I now have.”
The WiSE group has been active at VMI since 2015, when the female cadet population was only 10%, with an even smaller percentage studying in STEM fields. The group welcomes any women interested in STEM fields. According to Topasna, the group provides cadets with the opportunity to connect with other women in STEM, develop leadership skills, participate in professional events, and increase the visibility of women in STEM through outreach activities like an open house, recruiting, and more.
“I am passionate about informing cadets and helping them explore the many opportunities that exist for undergraduates—being [that] research, internships, workshops, and conferences, or graduate school and other career opportunities,” said Topasna. “I hope more cadets will participate in research, attend such conferences, and be active in professional groups and in their communities.”
