WGMPA Physics Careers Panel Abstract: Earning a PhD doesn’t mean the challenges of being underrepresented in physics suddenly disappear. As early-career scientists transition beyond graduate school, they often face new obstacles, from the job search and adjusting to a new workplace, to navigating unconscious bias and systemic inequities. To explore these experiences, the Women & Gender Minorities in Physics Association is hosting an alumni career panel featuring three early-career scientists. Panelists will share their journeys after graduate school, offering insight into building careers in physics and related fields while continuing to navigate the complexities of equity and inclusion. The WGMPA Career Panel was made possible with funding from an American Physical Society Women in Physics grant and the Dr. Lonnie Edelheit Illinois Physics Careers Seminar fund.
Panelists and Bios:
Dr. Kathleen Oolman, Gil Herrera Postdoctoral Fellow in Quantum Information Science, Sandia National Laboratory: Kathleen completed her PhD in Physics at UIUC in 2024 in the research group of Prof. Gina Lorenz, where she worked on projects in quantum integrated photonics developing THz-bandwidth heralded single-photon sources in semiconductor waveguides and quantum imaging of biomolecules. She is now the Gil Herrera Postdoctoral Fellow in Quantum Information Science at Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico.
Dr. Devyn Shafer, Manager, Analytics & Data Management at Columbus City Schools: Devyn Shafer is a 2024 graduate of the UIUC Physics PhD Program with research in Physics Education under advisor Tim Stelzer. She is currently a Data Analyst with public school district Columbus City Schools and is a Fellow of the Strategic Data Project, a program of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.
Dr. Pei-Wen Tsai, Laser Development Scientist, TOPTICA Photonics: Pei-Wen completed her PhD in Physics at UIUC in 2022 in the research group of Prof. Brian DeMarco, where she studied Rydberg-dressed 40K atoms in a three-dimensional optical lattice. She now works as a Physicist at TOPTICA Photonics in Pittsford, New York.
Dr. Laura Wadleigh, Quantum Engineer, Atom Computing: Laura completed her Ph.D in Physics at UIUC in 2023 in the lab of Professor DeMarco. She studied many body localization with Rubidium atoms in an optical lattice. She's currently a Quantum Engineer at Atom Computing in Boulder, CO, working on building neutral atom quantum computers.
