This is a very important event in our calendar, as this is the time that we elect next year’s committee. The following committee positions will be up for re-election, and are open to all members of the Society who are University of Melbourne students:

- President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Education Officer
- First Year Representative: (if constitutional amendment is passed – see below. Must be a first year student studying physics)
- General Committee Member (3 positions)

Details of the AGM:
- Date: Tuesday 31 August, 2010
- Time: 1 pm
- Venue: Physics Conference Room. This is on level 7 of the main physics building. We will put up some signs so you don’t get lost.

We need at least twenty members to show up in order to hold a quorate AGM, so please come along even if you’re just after a free lunch. To this end, free pizza and soft drinks will be provided.

Please find the attached agenda for the meeting, as well as the club’s constitution. Please read the proposed amendment to the constitution to add a First Year Representative to the club general committee. We will be voting on this amendment at the AGM

Hope to see you all there!

PSS Constitution

AGM agenda

Proposed amendments to the Constitution

Details are as follows:

- Date: Tuesday 24 August
- Time: 12-2pm
- Venue: North Court  (NOT the Physics Courtyard)

This event completely free (thanks to the AIP). Pizza, soft drinks, beer and wine will be provided. You will also have the chance to win the door prize – an iPod Nano!

Details are as follows:

- Date: Thursday 26 August
- Time: 6pm. The evening will run for approx 1.5 hours
- Venue: Level 7, Physics Building (postgrad common room), The University of Melbourne
- More info at http://vic.aip.org.au/news/143

The panel will consist of:

- Dr Rohan Dowd, Accelerator Physicist, Australian Synchrotron, theme: government research lab

- Dr Gaby Bright, Versi, theme: non-physics specific, general science career in
e-research

- Dr Ruth Plathe, former Australian Antarctic Division scientist now x-ray scientist
at Australian Synchrotron, theme: diverse career and interesting travel

- Kent Wootton, PhD student, Experimental Particle Physics, University of Melbourne,
theme: student involved with Big Science and international travel.

The topic will be:

Can Physics Change Climate Change?

We’ll look at the people, the projects and the prospects for dealing with climate change through physics and other fields of science and engineering.

Joining us on the evening will be our panel:

• David Jamieson, Head, School of Physics, University of Melbourne
• Grant Schuster, Ernst & Young Sustainability Advisory Services
• Rachel Webster, Astrophysics Group, University of Melbourne
• Simon Torok, Communications, Marine and Atmospheric Research, CSIRO

Details:

• When: 6.30 PM, Monday, 16^th August, 2010
• Where: Pugg Mahones, 171–175 Elgin St, Carlton
  (head about 400 metres past the Earth Sciences building along Elgin St, away from Uni)

All are welcome: we had at least sixty people show up to the previous Physics at the Pub, Can Physics Save the World? and had a great discussion.

There are also some other great National Science Week events running next week, so check out the website and go see some great science.

Also, if you’re around the University on Sunday, remember the PSS will be at the University of Melbourne Open Day, so drop round, say hello and see our awesome demo of the Meissner effect.

We’ve also got some fantastic demonstrations lined up. The double pendulum will be making a reappearance, and we’ll have a liquid-nitrogen–cool demonstration of the Meissner effect. If you’re around Uni that day, drop by and say hi. We’ll be on the Concrete Lawn, in purple.

We’ll also be holding Physics in the Pub in conjunction with National Science Week the day afterwards. More details will be forthcoming soon!

• Date: Monday, 2^nd August 2010
• Time: 1 PM – 2 PM
• Venue: Physics Courtyard (beneath the ramp leading to the Physics Podium)

As always, we’ll have plenty of sausages, veggie patties, soft drinks and beer, free to all our members. If you’re not a member yet, you’re more than welcome to sign up on the day.

See you all there, and have a great, physics-filled semester 2.

Challenge yourself and become a science role model for the next generation!

In2Science is a peer mentoring program that runs in local secondary schools. Science students from Melbourne, Monash and LaTrobe are placed in a science or mathematics class for approximately 10 weeks to help inspire the next generation of scientists.

This is an extremely rewarding experience. Applications are currently open, so check out all the details online at http://www.latrobe.edu.au/in2science/

We’ll be holding our next free BBQ in week 2 of next semester, so keep an eye on your emails.

In the meantime, happy studying and enjoy the break.

Celebrate the end of the semester PSS-style!

Dress up as a comic book character and venture into the evil secret lair!

When: 26 May, 8pm till late

Where: The Croft Institute: 21 Croft Alley, Melbourne

There will be a prize for the best costume

Tix: $40 – includes entry and 3 drinks. Costumed characters get an extra free drink

Tickets on sale 19-21st May, 12-2pm at the Concrete Lawns. Also 18 May, 12-2pm at the UMSU AGM in North Court.

Excursion to the Australian Synchrotron in 2009

We are going to the Australian Synchrotron!

The excusion will be on Tuesday 11 May . Places are limited; you can register using the form below or by emailing us at unimelbpss@gmail.com . The excursion will include a tour of the facility in the morning, followed by a BBQ lunch with some of the staff at the Synchrotron.

The date has been chosen to coincide with a maintenance day, which means we’ll be able to walk through the tunnels and get up close and personal with some sexy scientific equipment. We are also planning a second excursion in Semester 2 on an operation day, so we can see it all in action.

(Registration is closed)