Physics Student Resources
The Physics Department at WSU provides resources to help you succeed inside and outside of the classroom.
Facilities & Equipment
The Physics Department has labs dedicated to research, SLC 162 and 164, as well as a range of equipment dedicated to research. We also can build other equipment, so the possibilities are endless.
- Atomic Force Microscope: this tool can be used to detect sub-micrometer sized surface features on solids
- Scanning Electron Microscope: this is used to get micrometer sized surface features on samples
- High quality optics bench and equipment: recently acquired, these tools can be used for a variety of purposes, one of which is the essentials of an atom trap
- Cloud Chamber: can be used to view elementary particle motion
- Computational Cluster: is maintained by the department to support all our computing needs
- A radio-frequency electronics lab for building and refurbishing radio telescopes. The lab includes a vector network analyzer, a suite of software defined radios, and various RF electronics and diagnostic tools.
- Laser Cutter, 3D Printers, and Table Top CNC for prototyping and manufacturing
The Physics Department also has a student lounge in PA 116 where physics majors can study and work together.
The Physics Club
The Physics Club is open to anyone interest in physics, even if it isn’t your area of study. Our club participates in several trips throughout the year.
Some of these trips have included:
- UW-Lacrosse’s Distinguished Lecture Series
- University of Minnesota’s Van Vleck Lecture
- Chicago to visit FermiLab and Argonne National Lab
- University of Minnesota and the further north to the Sudan Mine where the far detector for the MINOS experiment is located as well as the Cold Dark Matter Search.
Explore WSU Clubs and Organizations or by contacting club advisor Andrew Ferstl at aferstl@winona.edu to learn more.
Scholarships
In addition to the general scholarships at WSU, students in the Physics programs can apply for many scholarships from the WSU Foundation.
Apply for WSU Foundation ScholarshipsThe Physics Department requires that you complete a research project before you graduate. This is a way to fully immerse you in the field of physics before you even graduate.
Students can be paid research assistants for faculty members’ research projects that are supported externally with grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and other organizations.
Besides research opportunities at WSU, students are encouraged to participate in research and internships at other universities or area businesses. Students regularly participate in NSF supported Research Experience for Undergraduates at large universities across the country during the summer months.
If students are more interested in exploring careers in industry, we help students find internships at local manufacturing, prototyping and industrial firms.
Here are several reasons:
- To have a full immersion experience in the scientific process from starting a project to reporting your findings in a written and oral report
- To synthesize and apply what you have learned, from many different classes, in one capstone project
- To make you more competitive in your post graduation plans.
By reading this information, you’ve already taken the first step.
The next step is to either:
- talk with a physics professor with whom you’d like to do research with
- talk with your academic advisor
Don’t worry if you don’t have any ideas to begin with. Your advisor is here to help you through the process of deciding what to research.
Tutoring
Get help with studying and homework for physics courses from peer tutors who are upper-level majors in the Physics Department. You can schedule a session with a peer tutor online.
You can also get free tutoring through WSU Tutoring Services, which is located in Krueger Library 220.
Become a Tutor
The Physics Department hires about 2-4 tutors each semester. If you have completed Physics 340 and are interested in tutoring, contact Andrew Ferstl at aferstl@winona.edu.
All tutors are expected to attend training sessions at the beginning of each year.