Stanford Pie

Stanford Physics, Identity, and Equity (PIE) Program

The Stanford Physics, Identity, and Equity (PIE) program seeks to encourage and enable students who may face barriers while navigating the graduate school application process. The goal of this program is to support candidates from underrepresented groups in physics who have aspirations to apply to doctoral programs and become future leaders in the scientific community. This three-day program (10.12.2023-10.14.2023) will provide prospective applicants with information and guidance on the graduate experience, the PhD application process, and the various research interests at Stanford. Students will have the opportunity to interact directly with Stanford faculty, postdocs, and graduate students.

Applying

The main objective of our program is to help mitigate the systematic challenges for underrepresented minorities in physics. With that in mind, our application is designed to be as accessible and equitable as possible. We do not accept letters of recommendation, transcripts, or standardized test scores as a part of our application process. Applicants are asked to fill out a set of short questions establishing demographic background, their interest in physics, and their availability for the program dates. Applicants will be chosen through a weighted random algorithm that will prioritize students that come from backgrounds or identities that are underrepresented in the physics community. The application is intended to take only a few minutes to complete. Applicants that are not selected to be participants will still be invited to register for the program. All registrants will have access to the graduate and faculty panels. See the program schedule for more information. Applications for the Stanford PIE Program are due by 09.29.2023.

Applications are due by 09.29.2023. All current physics undergrads, recent grads, or students in bridge or terminal masters programs that intend to apply for a Ph.D. program in the upcoming cycle and identify as a member of an underrepresented group in physics are invited to apply.
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Eligibility

All current physics undergrads, recent grads, or students in bridge or terminal masters programs that intend to apply for a Ph.D. program in the upcoming cycle and identify as a member of an underrepresented group in physics are invited to apply.

Participation

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the Stanford PIE program will be conducted entirely online. Participants will be asked to join the program events via zoom.

Program Schedule

All times in PST

Day 1 (10/12/2023): The PhD Application Process

Morning Session

9 am: (All Registrants) Welcome and Overview of the program schedule and format

9:10 am: (All Registrants) Chair's Welcome

9:15 am: (All Registrants) Overview of PhD application process given by current Stanford faculty members with participant Q&A

10:45am: Interaction break [with participants]

11:15am: Discussion from students describing the experience of being a graduate student, including highlights of their own science and their experiences in research and daily life

Day 2 (10/13/2023): Research at Stanford

Morning Session

9am: (All Registrants) Overview of graduate research areas given by student-faculty pairs. Each talk will address how graduate programs divide fields and highlight a few of the most pressing and interesting research topics in each subfield. Each talk will be followed by a 5 minute Q&A.

9:40: Interaction break [with participants]

10am: (All Registrants) Overview of graduate research areas given by student-faculty pairs. Each talk will address how graduate programs divide fields and highlight a few of the most pressing and interesting research topics in each subfield. Each talk will be followed by a 5 minute Q&A.

10:40: Interaction break [with participants]

11am: (All Registrants) Overview of graduate research areas given by student-faculty pairs. Each talk will address how graduate programs divide fields and highlight a few of the most pressing and interesting research topics in each subfield. Each talk will be followed by a 5 minute Q&A.

Day 2 (10/13/2023): Research at Stanford

Optional Afternoon Session

1pm: (Accepted Participants) Panel Discussion: Building a more equitable physics community

2pm: (Accepted Participants) Discord social hour with current graduate students featuring casual interaction

Day 3 (10/14/2021): Graduate Research and Student Life

Morning Session

9 am: (Accepted Participants) Graduate research panel hosted by current graduate students with participant Q&A.

10:00: (Accepted Participants) Graduate life panel hosted by current graduate students with participant Q&A.

11:00: Break

11:30: (Accepted Participants) Short introductions from current graduate students about research, background, and Stanford experience

12:00: (Accepted Participants) Chance to connect one-on-one or in small groups with graduate student presenters to discuss specific questions and concerns about graduate school

Post-Conference Opportunities (Accepted Participants)

After the conclusion of the conference, accepted participants will be given the opportunity to sign up for open office hours with current Stanford faculty members. Accepted participants will also be paired with current graduate students that will help in offering one-on-one feedback on application components.

Panelists and Speakers

Over the course of our three-day program, participants will get the opportunity to hear from and talk to a number of the members of our physics community at Stanford. Our goal is to give participants access to a wide range of voices, both in terms of career stages and personal background. We will release this year's list of faculty soon. There will also be opportunities for participants to schedule meetings with additional Stanford faculty in the weeks proceeding the program.