By Shivangi Aneja (PhySU Communications)

This year, the Physics Student Union focused on launching new initiatives to expand outreach. We hosted our first Meet the Profs event, where over 60 students and faculty from across the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto connected in an informal setting. Students explored a wide range of research areas and learned about upcoming opportunities like the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Feedback from both students and professors confirmed it was a successful networking event. We also introduced the Reading Group program, pairing first-year students with upper-years to dive into advanced physics topics beyond the usual curriculum. Over 30 students participated in the Winter term. Learn more at physu.org.

This semester also stood out for its collaborative efforts. We partnered with the Environmental Students’ Union to host Prof Talks, featuring Professors Kaley Walker and Kim Strong, and worked with the Undergraduate Research Students’ Association for Biophysics Day, which included talks by Professors Siddhartha Goyal, William Ryu, and Fernandez-Gonzalez. We also launched our largest collaboration yet—the Quercus Quiz Cup, a cross-disciplinary trivia event co-hosted with five student societies and open to students, faculty, and graduate students across campus.

Another major highlight was Physics Pathways, an event supporting gender minorities in physics. Students engaged in small group discussions with professors and graduate students who shared their experiences and career journeys. Faculty attendees included Professors Miriam Diamond, A.W. Peet, Ting Li, Ania Harlick, and Yaquin Woo.

We wrapped up the term with a playful April Fool’s Day celebration. That morning, a group of first-year students accidentally spilled a box of yellow rubber ducks—part of their PHY151 lab—throughout MP, compromising the safety of our beloved MP. Luckily, students and faculty teamed up to retrieve the rogue ducks and restore order!

There’s still more we couldn’t include for example Pi Day, Game Night, PhySU LovesU and so on—Follow us on Instagram @physu to stay updated!