For the second year in a row, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) has earned national recognition for its achievements.
Over winter break, the chapter learned that it had once again received the Outstanding Chapter Award from the SPS National Office, cementing its status as a top-tier student-led organization.
“It is with great pleasure that I inform you that this year the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga chapter has earned the designation of a Society of Physics Students Outstanding Chapter,” Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma Director Alejandro de la Puente said in his congratulatory letter. “This is the highest level of distinction given to our chapters and is received by less than 15% of our top chapters annually, with just 78 of 844 chapters so honored this year.”
The UTC SPS chapter officers are:
- Landon Boone, president, physics, senior
- Evan Humberd, vice president, physics, senior
- Olivia Ziemer, secretary, biophysics, junior
- Ike Deitch, treasurer, physics, sophomore
UTC boasts a rich history of student engagement in physics. Sigma Pi Sigma, the Physics Honor Society, was established in 1921; by 1929, the University of Chattanooga became its seventh chapter. In 1968, Sigma Pi Sigma joined forces with the Student Section of the American Physical Society to create the SPS—now a global organization. The professional association is explicitly designed for students and their advisors and is open to anyone interested in physics and related fields.
SPS chapters are assessed based on their engagement with the campus community, the professional physics community, the public and SPS national initiatives. The Outstanding Chapter Award celebrates chapters that excel in outreach and demonstrate innovative approaches to advancing the SPS mission to “help students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community.”
The UTC SPS chapter advisor is UC Foundation Professor of Physics Tatiana Allen.
“I know the school year is very full but, from personal experience, I can attest that when an SPS chapter is thriving and integrated into the department environment, it is often a sign of an advisor who is committed and actively engaged with their students,” de la Puente wrote. “To have your group named an Outstanding Chapter is a testament to your leadership skills and your ability to foster leadership among your students.”
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