Summer Events for Undergraduate Researchers
Summer research is about more than the work you do in your lab. It is also a chance to meet other student researchers, explore new areas of physics, and build skills that will help you share your work with confidence.
Throughout the summer, undergraduate researchers are invited to take part in a series of weekly events designed to help you get the most out of your research experience. These sessions bring together students from across the department for faculty talks, professional development workshops, social events, and presentation practice.
Whether you're learning how to write an abstract, hearing about cutting-edge research or grabbing lunch with fellow students, these events are a great way to connect with the broader physics community, and make your summer research experience even more rewarding.
Summer 2026 Schedule
| Date | Event | Time | Location | Lunch |
| June 1-4 | AI/ML Bootcamp (details below) | 8:30-4pm | Compton 340 | Varies each day! |
| June 11 | MCSS BBQ & Lawn Games | 11:30am | Rudolph Courtyard | Salt n Smoke |
| June 18 | Quantum Sensing with Chong Zu | 11am | Compton 340 | Dept. BBQ |
| June 25 | Astrophysics with Tansu Daylan | 11am | Compton 340 | TBD |
| July 2 | Abstract Writing Workshop with Shaffique Adam | 11am | Compton 340 | TBD |
| July 9 | Posters and Presentations Workshop with Erik Henriksen | 11am | Compton 340 | TBD |
| July 16 | MCSS Trivia Event | 11:30am | Rudolph 301 | Red Robin |
| July 23 | Introduction to Biophysics with Shankar Mukherji | 11am | Compton 340 | TBD |
| July 30 | Graduate Student Panel | 11:30am | Compton 340 | Pasta House |
We encourage all undergraduate researchers to participate. Whether you're just getting started or already deep into your project, these events are a fun and valuable way to learn, connect, and make the most of your summer.
AI/ML Bootcamp: Monday, June 1 - Thursday, June 4
Each day will start with morning lectures, followed by hands-on tutorial sessions in the afternoon to apply the topics discussed that morning. Lunch will be provided for those who attend the morning lectures. We just ask that you RSVP for each day that you plan to attend so we can adequately prepare for lunch attendees.
- Day 1, 6/1: REU orientation and introduction, foundations of machine learning, statistical models
- Day 2, 6/2: Neural networks, MLP, loss functions, training and optimizers
- Day 3, 6/3: Vision, symbolic, generative, and other neural networks
- Day 4, 6/4: Guest lecture: "Multi-Agent AI for Autonomous Biomedical Scientific Discovery". Followed by more in-depth discussion on LLMs and agents
Photos from 2025 summer events!
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