Why Give?

The Physics Department is a vibrant community committed to the discovery of knowledge and the training of the next generation of scientists. Our faculty, students and alumni transform how we understand the universe around us and enable world changing technologies. Our Department's history stretches back to the very beginning of the Carnegie Technical Schools and reaches into the future through our students. Every gift to our program has a direct impact on that future.

Your gift to the Physics Department expresses your commitment to innovation. Every gift, large and small, makes an impact not just on the Physics Department, but on the world at large as our students and faculty share their knowledge and skills.

We encourage you to direct your gift to one of these priority funds:

• Physics Undergraduate Enrichment Fund - Donations to the Physics Undergraduate Enrichment Fund support a life-changing undergraduate physics student experience by creating opportunities for students to connect with each other and the broader physics community in spaces beyond the classroom! Your donations support undergraduate research opportunities, allowing students to engage in research at the leading edge of their fields under the supervision of our world class faculty. Donations enable the professional development of our undergraduate students by removing financial barriers for them to travel to conferences where they can present their research or receive transformative professional development. They also allow us to recognize outstanding students with awards, honor graduating students with gifts, and foster a vibrant physics community by supporting our physics and astronomy undergraduate student groups and clubs.
• Physics Graduate Student Fund - Provides support for community-building graduate student activities, research, and travel to conferences and meetings. These activities are essential not just for fostering a sense of community among our graduate student population, but also for promoting their professional development towards a range of future careers. In the course of their research, our graduate students investigate a range of cutting edge scientific questions, while developing other essential skills. Travel to conferences and meetings enables them to build professional networks, advertise their work, meet potential future employers, and develop their professional communication skills.
• Physics Department Improvement Fund - Enables the Department to improve its lab facilities and physical spaces. Lab facilities supported by this fund include shared research laboratory facilities and educational laboratory spaces. Renovations to these spaces would improve or update the audio/visual and teaching technologies and laboratory equipment students use, and foster greater collaborative inquiry in experimental physics at all levels of the undergraduate program. Physical spaces include the office spaces and corridors occupied by department members, and shared departmental spaces such as classrooms and interaction space.