When: Wednesday 5th October, 12:00PM – 2:00PM
Where: Physics Courtyard (under the David Caro ramp)
What’s free: Sausages, veggie burgers, soft drinks, beer & cider!
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=276062815748753

See you there!

Following the elections we welcome 5 new faces to the committee, and 4 experienced members are returning for another term*.

Here are the election results:

Congratulations to the new committee, and anyone else who wants to help out is more than welcome to: just send us an email.

* Angus McInnes now holds the record for longest-serving committee member. (Treasurer 2008-2011, General Committee 2011- )

This is a very important event in our calendar, as this is the time that we elect next year’s committee. Most of the current committee members will be graduating at the end of the year, so it is important that their positions are filled to ensure the club’s future.

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
- General Committee Member (4 positions)

Details of the AGM:
Date: Tuesday 30 August, 2011
Time: 1:05 pm
Venue: Physics Conference Room. This is on level 7 of the main physics building.

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.

There are no amendments to the constitution this year. The agenda for the meeting is available here

If you have any questions about what’s involved in being part of the committee, please send us an email. Hope to see you on Tuesday!

– The PSS Committee

“Rocket Science” kicks off tomorrow morning at 10:30am on Launch Pad PSS, aka the Scienceworks oval. Full details available here

A preview of some of our rockets in action! We also have a camera to attach to the rockets (centre top) and an altitude meter (centre bottom)

Welcome Back BBQ

This will be held on Thursday 4 August in the Physics Courtyard, 12:30-2pm

National Science Week

We have two exciting events planned for National Science Week:

1. Rocket Science — This is your chance to press the big red button during National Science Week! Rocket Science is a model rockets activity, and will be held on Sunday 14 August at Scienceworks. Entry is free for students
2. Physics in the Pub — The next installment of the PSS’s signature event takes you to the very heart of modern science and technology. Physics in the Pub will be held on Monday 15 August at Pugg Mahones (Carlton) on the theme, “The Tools of Big Science”.
   

Annual General Meeting

The AGM will be held midway through semester 2.  All committee positions will be up for grabs, so this is your chance to step up and make a meaningful contribution to the Society.

More information about all of these events will be available soon. Check out our dedicated National Science Week page at http://unimelbpss.org/index.php/about-the-pss/rocket-science-2011/

Watch this space for information about upcoming events, including model rockets, BBQs and more Physics in the Pub!

BBQ Details
Date: Wednesday 25 May
Time: 12:30 – 2:00pm
Venue: Physics Courtyard (under the David Caro ramp near the Hercus lecture theatre)
What’s free: Sausages, veggie burgers, beer, cider & soft-drinks.

Please note the new venue. Or more precisely, the old venue, which has been a construction site since the beginning of the year.

New members are welcome to join the PSS at the BBQ, so bring along your friends

The panel will include:
- Andi Horvath — Curator and Science Communicator, Museum Victoria
- Roger Rassool — Experimental Particle Physics Group, University of Melbourne
- Ken Winkle — Director, Australian Venom Research Unit
- Meredith Doig — President, Rationalist Society of Australia

Drag your assignment-sodden… bags… and meet us upstairs at 6:30 to order your parmas, pots and pints (or even jugs, for those so-inclined), to begin the panel discussion at around 7:00.

Just to clarify, the where-and-when:

Where: Pugg Mahones, 171-175 Elgin st Carlton
Date: Monday, May 16th 2011
Time: Begins at 6:30PM
Cost: Free entry. You will need to cover the cost of your own food & drink
All welcome, so bring your friends.

Our Physics in the Pub events are usually quite well attended, and they provide an aspect of personality and real-world insight into the physics that we study every day; so if you haven’t attended before we highly recommend you give it a go!

For those of you with Facebook accounts, please see our corresponding event page for more information and updates:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200797939955709

Details
Date: Wednesday 20 April
Time: 12-2pm
Venue: Redmond Barry Courtyard
What’s free: Sausages, veggie burgers, beer, soft-drinks

Same deal as usual – turn up, eat and be merry. New members are welcome to join the PSS at the BBQ, so bring along your friends.

In the event of rain the BBQ will still go ahead, since the Redmond Barry Courtyard has plenty of space undercover.

Hope to see you there
— The PSS Committee

We’re very lucky to have Matthew Wright give his time to speak to us; he is the Executive Director of Beyond Zero Emissions (the group that produced the ZCA Report) and has extensive knowledge of the technical issues behind the energy plan. If you’re interested in reading the ZCA plan before the talk, it can be downloaded from: http://www.zerocarbonplan.org/

Time permitting, there will be an opportunity for a brief Q&A session at the end of the talk.

Event Details
Date: April 13
Time: 1-2pm
Venue: Senior Chemistry Lecture Theatre, 3rd Floor of Chemistry Building

Pizza will be provided. Hope to see you there!