Amber Jenkins Fermilab Graduate Student Association Imperial College, London Annual Fermilab Users’ Meeting June 2, 2003 1 GSA Report GSA
Dec 29, 2015
Amber Jenkins
Fermilab Graduate Student Association
Imperial College, London
Annual Fermilab Users’ Meeting
June 2, 2003
1
GSA Report
GSA
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
What is the Graduate Student Association (GSA)?
• The voice of the graduate students at Fermilab• GSA reps elected every year in October:
Amber Jenkins (Imperial College, London)
Andy Haas (University of Washington)
Martin Hennecke (Karlsruhe University)
Reid Mumford (Johns Hopkins University)
Jun Zhang (Columbia University)
D0
CDF
Astro-theory
2
GSA
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Our Mission• To represent the needs of the grad students to the
Lab• To act as a liaison between students & Lab
Directorate, experiments & UEC• To continue the education of the graduate student
population• To organize social events for the younger physics
community; encourage interactions between students from different areas
3
GSA
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Important Issues
• Visas
• Medical insurance
• Childcare
• Bike path & taxi access at the Lab
• Future of HEP
GSA
4
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Visas
• Post 9/11 security restrictions make life difficult for foreign scientists
• Significant problem: Foreigners make up > 30% of science & engineering doctorate-recipients in US
• Requirements for detailed personal info found intrusive• Visa renewal can take many months – in the meantime
research is disrupted• Visa status in turn affects the Social Security Number,
drivers’ licence, car insurance, banking…
GSA
5
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Medical Insurance
• Crucial issue• Affects those who can least afford to pay – i.e.
grad students & foreign visitors• Would like to see all students with adequate
medical coverage• Currently conducting Medical Insurance
Survey 2003• Working with URA, Benefits & insurance
brokers to try to improve situation
GSA
6
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Washington DC Trip
• GSA accompanied UEC to Washington DC in March 2003
• Met with Senators & Representatives• Lobby for increased funding for HEP• Funding situation is critical: over the past 12 years,
funding by 25%. Certainly affects students making decisions about their future career.
• Important to represent perspective of young physicists in Washington
GSA
7
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Other Issues
• Childcare – affects small proportion of students, but for those affected it is a significant problem
• Bike Access at the Lab – for many years, campaigns to improve bike access at Fermilab
• Taxi Service – students who don’t have cars are dependent on Lab taxis and taxi service hours
GSA
8
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Education
• “Status of the Lab” – Mike Witherell• U-Dzero talks• CDF grad student talks• UTeV – organized by UEC• Career Night - July 2003
- very useful for students - speakers from Lab, universities, industry - advice & info about career options
available
GSA
9
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Social Life…• Hallowe’en Party 2002 – ~120 people
partied in the barn, our resident DJ, fantastic costumes, pumpkin carving, apple-bobbing…
• Bingo Night – our very own Fermi bingo!• LHC Symposium ’03 Party• Pachanga season has begun!• New Perspectives Party this week…
10
GSA
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
New Perspectives 2003
GSA
• June 3-5, 2003
• Annual student conference at Fermilab
• A great line-up….
- 4 guest speakers
- 6 posters
- 16 student talks (D0, CDF, MINOS, MiniBooNE, Muon Project, Computing Division, Beams Division, SDSS..)
- 1 black-belt karate demonstration!!
• Come and hear about the physics that’s really being done!
11
Amber Jenkins, GSA Report Users' Meeting, June 2, 2003
Conclusions…
• Our job is to represent the grad student population at the Lab
• We can do this in big and small ways• It is important, now more than ever, that
younger physicists’ voices are heard • To help us do a good job we strongly
encourage people to get involved!• We’ve had a lot of fun and there’s a lot
more to come!!
GSA
12