FAQs

The APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) are three-day regional conferences for undergraduate physics majors. The 2019 conferences will be held January 18-20.

The primary goal of the CUWiP conference 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 2019 program at Utah State University will include research talks, panel discussions about graduate school and careers in physics, workshops and discussions about women in physics, student research talks, a poster session and laboratory tours.

Any undergraduate student with an interest in physics may apply to attend a CUWiP. For the last decade, Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) has helped undergraduate women thrive in physics by providing them a with a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from other women in physics at all stages of their physics careers. At CUWiP, budding physicists will experience a professional conference, learn about graduate school and professions in physics, and share invaluable experiences, advice, and ideas with other women. Undergraduate students are eligible to apply and register for the conference, and we encourage non-undergraduate students or interested faculty/mentors to email cuwip.usu@gmail.com for details about attendance and participation.

Most people say "Cue-Wip".

Any undergraduate student attending a US college/university may apply.

It is very important to complete all parts of the application and to write a thoughtful Applicant Statement. If conferences are oversubscribed, priority will be given to applicants who:

1. Are undergraduate physics or engineering physics majors.
2. Have never attended an APS CUWiP.
3. Are applying to attend the conference that is geographically closest to their expected location January 18-20, 2019.

There is no formal application or registration process for non-undergraduate students and interested faculty/mentors. We encourage you to email cuwip.usu@gmail.com for details about attendance and participation.

No. While we encourage you to present a talk or a poster if you have been involved in research, you are welcome just to attend the conference and participate in the activities.

The content of this year's conference will not be exactly the same as last year's, and you are welcome to apply to attend again. However, if more students apply than we can accommodate, preference will be given to students who have never attended a CUWiP.

Yes, all attendees must register by the deadline.

Because of the high demand of students and travel costs of those who are not in our region, we will only be able to accept students who will be in the region at the time of the conference. This conference is not intended to be a graduate school visit.

Students from Canada are encouraged to apply to the Canadian site at the University of Ottawa. Students from Canada may apply to closer U.S. sites if desired. However, Canadian students accepted to U.S. sites are not eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses from the conference or for waiver of the registration fee.

APS is only able to fund students attending universities in the U.S. We welcome students attending non-U.S. institutions to email our site at cuwip.usu@gmail.com or another CUWiP site to ask if you can apply to attend. CUWiP sites will not be able to reimburse students attending non-U.S. institutions for accomodations or travel.

Yes, undergraduate students at any U.S. college or university may apply.

Only undergraduate students who will be over 18 at the time of the conference may apply to CUWiP. There is no formal application or registration process for non-undergraduate students and interested faculty/mentors. We encourage you to email cuwip.usu@gmail.com for details about attendance and participation.

Yes, students of all genders are welcome to attend this conference. If you have questions or concerns about the housing for this conference, please contact us at cuwip.usu@gmail.com.

No. You apply to attend a CUWiP conference (the one closest to you), and you are accepted, wait-listed or declined according to the priorities listed above. Application is free, and the deadline is Friday, October 12, 2018 at midnight ET. After you have been accepted, then you register to attend the conference to which you have been accepted (you may be assigned to a different conference depending on the number of applications) to confirm that you will actually be attending. There is a one-time registration fee of $45, which helps offset some of the cost of the conference, including all lodging and meals.

Please apply to the site in the region that is closest to you at the time of the CUWiP using the APS CUWiP map as a guide.

No, but you should have an estimate of the cost. If you are traveling by air, your travel cost is not covered by your department and you are applying for travel support, your airfare must be approved by the conference organizers before you book your travel. Due to the limited nature of our travel funds, we ask that you find the most economical means of transportation to and from the conference. For example, reach out to others in your department and see if carpooling is an option.

First, make sure you submit your application by the deadline. Second, make sure you put some thought into why you want to attend and what you want to get out of the conference. Please answer all questions on the application fully and honestly. Offering to present a talk or a poster will not affect your chances of being selected to attend.

Students will be accommodated at the University Inn and Conference Center on campus at Utah State University. Please visit our Travel page for more information. Do not make your own reservations.

Parking details can also be found on our Travel page.

Students who are accepted to attend the conference must pay a one-time registration fee of $45, which helps offset some of the cost of the conference, including all lodging and meals. If you cannot afford the registration fee and your department/college is unable to help, you may request a fee waiver by submitting a statement attesting to your financial need and verifying that department or university funds are not available. Further details will be provided when you are invited to register for the conference. You must request a fee waiver at least two days in advance of registering. Lodging (for non-local students) and food will be covered by the conference; you do not need to pay for your hotel room or food at the conference. We expect that your travel expenses will be covered by your home department or college. However, if they are not able to cover these expenses, travel funding is available. Please contact cuwip.usu@gmail.com for questions.

Please talk to your department chair, manager, or director of undergraduate studies before registering for CUWiP. You might ask an academic advisor, faculty member you know, or other mentor for guidance about who to ask if you are unsure. You can also contact us if you would like guidance in asking your department for travel funds.

Students are responsible for arranging their own travel to the conference. We encourage students to coordinate with other attendees from their institution. Please be in communication with your local chair or faculty member if your department is reimbursing you for travel costs. If your department cannot fund your travel, please email cuwip.usu@gmail.com for plane and train ticket approval before purchase. Refer to our Travel page for more information.

Because your travel costs are reimbursable, it is expected that you will attend all of the conference events as scheduled. If you have special circumstances, please contact us to discuss them

Please visit our Travel page.

If you are being reimbursed by the conference (rather than by your department): after the conference, you can submit the reimbursement form that will be provided to you. Reimbursement will be mailed to you within the month. For more details please contact us at cuwip.usu@gmail.com.

We will request dietary restriction information on the registration form. If you believe your dietary needs aren't adequately addressed by the form, please contact us and we will work to accommodate you.

We encourage attendees to dress for CUWiP as you would for any professional physics conference. There are a wide range of types of clothing that people wear to physics conferences. Most people dress more formally than in a t-shirt and jeans. Most also dress less formally than wearing a full suit, though some do, especially on the day that they present a talk or a poster. The most important thing is that you dress in a way that you are comfortable with, both physically and with respect to your culture and preferred style. APS gives some links to examples of dress styles that work well here, although these are just ideas, not a limiting list! It's very important to wear comfortable, winter-compatible shoes, especially during lab tours. If you're not sure whether a pair of formal shoes will give you blisters when worn for several long days in a row, bring along something less formal to change into if you need to. You should also bring layers that make it so you can be comfortable both in a variety of indoor temperatures and outdoors walking between the hotel and the meeting rooms.

We will request information on disability status on the registration form. Please contact us in advance if you have additional requirements, and we will work to accommodate you.

Please see our Presentation Guidelines for more information.

Yes! We have set up a Facebook page so that you may connect with others attending the conference and receive updates.

Please contact us if you are comfortable so we are aware (cuwip.usu@gmail.com). We will encourage you to try your best during the networking opportunities, but if you need to be paired up with someone you know (either in rooming or meals), please let us know so we can try to accommodate you. We hope that you will be able to comfortably attend the conference and get something from it, but we understand that everyone needs to go at their own pace.

Please contact us to discuss your needs.

The pronoun that a person chooses to use for themself. For example: If Xena's preferred pronouns are she, her, and hers, you could say "Xena ate her food because she was hungry." She, her, hers and he, him, his are common examples of pronouns. Some people call these "female/feminine" and "male/masculine" pronouns, but many avoid these labels because, for example, not everyone who uses he feels like a "male" or "masculine."

There are also lots of gender-neutral pronouns in use. Here are a few you might hear:

• They, them, theirs (Xena ate their food because they were hungry.) This is is a pretty common gender-neutral pronoun.... And yes, it can in fact be used in the singular.
• Ze, hir (Xena ate hir food because ze was hungry.)
  Ze is pronounced like "zee" can also be spelled zie or xe, and replaces she/he/they. Hir is pronounced like "here" and replaces her/hers/him/his/they/theirs.
• Just my name please! (Xena ate Xena's food because Xena was hungry) Some people prefer not to use pronouns at all, using their name as a pronoun instead.
• Never, ever refer to a person as "it" or "he-she" (unless they specifically ask you to.) These are often used as offensive slurs.

Based on the information here and resources linked therein.

CUWiP seeks to be a safe space for all participants. By asking for preferred pronouns, we are ensuring that we don't accidentally misgender any of our participants or make harmful assumptions based off of appearance. Even if you have never considered this in relation to yourself, by including your preferred pronouns on your name badge you can help to make other CUWiP participants comfortable. We hope you will consider this.