Student resources – Physical Sciences

Physical Sciences’ students are the pioneers, the explorers, the doers,

they ask “what if?”

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The Physical Sciences are made up of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Earth, Planetary, & Space Sciences, Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy, and Statistics.

Join the curious.

6

Departments

26

Majors

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Student Organizations

New Student Welcome events

UCLA mathematics alumna Carmen Mercado (third from right) with first-year Physical Sciences students at the 2018 Welcome to Physical Sciences event reception

UCLA mathematics alumna Carmen Mercado (third from right) with first-year Physical Sciences students at the 2018 Welcome to Physical Sciences event reception

At the start of each academic year, Physical Sciences hosts a welcome event for all first-year (freshmen and transfer) students seeking to major in one of our departments. These events help new students begin to build a supportive network by bringing them together with faculty, alumni, graduate students, and older undergraduates.

2019 New Student Welcome

Click below for videos of these events featuring UCLA Physical Sciences alumni sharing their experiences and advice on being a student and pursuing a career in these sciences after graduation.

2018 New Student Welcome

2017 New Student Welcome

Events for Physical Sciences students

January 30, 2020: Virtual Reality and the Brain

UCLA Physics & Astronomy department is hosting a Virtual Reality and the Brain talk featuring professor Mayank Mehta, from both physics & astronomy and the UCLA department of neurobiology. Mehta is also part of the Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. The event will take place at UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) on Thursday, January 30, 2020, with the talk and Q&A at 6:00 PM and the reception to follow at 7:00 PM. Click here to RSVP.

January 31, 2020: Career Counseling for STEM Professionals

Join the Physical Sciences Division for an exciting event with renowned career coach Claire Wasserman, also one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Powerful Women. Wasserman will present a talk about leadership and productivity, specifically, letting go of perfectionism and positioning yourself for success. The event is Friday, January 31, 2020, and will begin at 10 AM, in Young Hall 2033. It is open to all and there is no RSVP necessary, however seating is first come, first served, so we recommend attendees arrive early.

Student News

Climate Science student awarded UC President’s Award for Outstanding Student Leadership

Alex Arnold, a graduate student studying climate science was given this honor for her exceptional leadership in student mentorship and building pathways to STEM higher education for underrepresented students. She has been a huge part of the creation of Environmental Justice and First Nations, a inclusive academic collaboration with Navajo Technical University.

Arnold also takes a large part in both the Organization for Cultural Diversity in Science and the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science at UCLA. Janet Napolitano, the University of California President, chose Alex Arnold, along with one student from UCSD, for embodying what the UC system stands for: student activism and public service.

Click here to read more.

UCLA students touch space with a microgravity experiment

The Bruin Spacecraft Group, is a student group aiming to solve questions of space science and foster a community of space scientists at UCLA. The students used their passion and knowledge to create an efficient fluid pump without moving parts. This type of pump is ideal for moving various liquids on the International Space Station.

The students created a magnetic pump, with a weight of less than one pound, and tested it both on ground and in space. Their pump was aboard Blue Origin’s reusable rocket when it launched on May 9, making it the first space payload developed and built entirely by a UCLA student group.

Click here to read more.