PhD UnConference 2024

Wednesday Oct 16, 2024, 9:20 a.m. → 5:00 p.m. America/Toronto

Perimeter Offsite Location

Christopher Pollack, Oleksandra Hrytseniak, Sunny Tsang

NOTE: The Graduate Student Committee is covering the cost of this event for all participants who attend. If you are approved to participate but are unable to attend, you MUST let the organizers know in advance. Any no-shows on the day of the event will be charged a $30 cancellation fee.

What's an UnConference?

Unlike traditional conferences, an unconference is a participant-driven meeting that prioritizes informal discussions on topics of interest to the participants.  Sessions consist of discussions in small breakout groups.  The topics for discussion get proposed and voted on early during a mingler event, and the schedule is made up on the spot from these suggestions.

Any and all topics pertinent to Perimeter PhD's can be proposed as the focus of a session. The following are some examples of topics that you might suggest:

• The implications of chat-GPT for theoretical physics
• Starting a study group on X topic.
• Recent progress in field X and why researchers in field Y should take notice
• Where to play [sports, games, music, …] in Waterloo
• Academia alternatives… Let’s found a start-up!
• UW bureaucracy survival guide
• Pros and cons of student unions
• What role can physicists play in climate action?
• Physics outreach in the age of social media
• The role of information theory in modern physics
• Why gravity does/doesn’t need to be quantized
• The correct account of dark matter is X
• ...

Please think of at least one topic that you would like to discuss prior to the event!  The time to submit your proposed topics will be during the mingler event in the morning.

9:20 a.m. → 9:30 a.m. Bus Pick up at Perimeter (meet at reception at 9:20)

10:00 a.m. → 10:15 a.m. Welcome activity

10:15 a.m. → 11:15 a.m. Mingling, proposing topics, voting on topics

11:15 a.m. → 11:30 a.m. Break for organizers to create the program

11:30 a.m. → 1:00 p.m. Discussion Sessions

1:00 p.m. → 2:00 p.m. Buffet Lunch

2:00 p.m. → 3:30 p.m. Discussion Sessions

3:30 p.m. → 4:30 p.m. Free time - outside games or walk

4:30 p.m. → 4:40 p.m. Bus departs to PI