Seminars are usually held on Fridays at noon in the Physics Room 298 or 299.
The seminars are given by Duke Physics graduate students and post-docs and run between 20 and 40 minutes in length. The atmosphere is intended to be friendly and that of a learning experience for everyone involved. No faculty attend the seminar, to enhance the atmosphere of a meeting of equals.
All Duke Physics graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend and all post-docs are invited.
Lunch, usually pizza, is provided.
A speaker schedule can be found on the student seminar web page
If you would like to volunteer as a speaker, or have any questions about the event, e-mail Kevin Claytor, the coordinator for the Fall 2012 GSS.
For the 2012-2013 academic year, four Grads-Chair meetings will be held. All graduate students and post-docs are welcome to attend. The Chair of the Physics Department will talk about department-related issues at these times. The graduate students and post-docs are welcome to ask department related questions. The times and locations for this academic year are;
Every Thursday at 4:30 a graduate student and faculty sponsor host Tea Time, where snacks are put out while the mysteries of the universe are discussed.
If you are interested in signing up, please see the google doc signup sheet.
At the end of the summer, the new 2nd year students host a Physics Picnic in the Duke Forest. Awards for teaching are given out and food is provided.
Picnic 2011
Deparment Socials are held every semster. All members in the Physics Deparment are invited. The last two Department Socials were held in French Science Center atrium. Food and drinks are served.
Here are some old pictures; November 2008, April 2009
A mentor-mentee program is organized for the new first year graduate students. This pairs up an older graduate student with one of the new first year students to help them aclimate to Duke, and to answer any questions that they may have about classwork / degree requirements / duke / social interaction on and off campus / etc. Usually the mentor will take the mentee out to lunch (on the Department), once or twice a semester.
There is also a Thanksgiving dinner held for all mentors and mentees once a year.
Yang Yang is the organizer for the 2011-2012 Mentor-Mentee program.
The GSO helps organize events during the Department recruitment weekend and orientation week. Event done in the past include Tea Times, poster sessions, lab visits, campus tours, dining with current graduate students, etc.
Orientations are held every August when new graduate students visit. There is also one optional extended orientations for international graduate students before the regular orientations.
The Graduate Student Organization gets together to watch a movie one night every other week in one of the physics department lecture halls. Our movies are selected from the top five most wanted list that is compiled from grad student submitted top five lists.
This event will be resumed.
Bi-monthly Physics Happy Hour are held in the graduate student lounge. Most graduate student will get together at this moments. And all members in the Physics Department are invited. Ice-creams, cookies, chocolates and other types of snacks will be served as well as drinks.
October 2008, February 2009
