Clubs and organizations

Physics club

Physics club meets weekly in the undergraduate physics lounge on the 12th floor of Webster Building on the Pullman campus. Activities include films, road trips, guest speakers from academia and industry, and career prep workshops.

Physics club also runs the famous Pumpkin Drop event in the autumn, and open houses during family weekends in fall and spring.

Physics club members can learn to use the campus observatory and planetarium.

3 "Outstanding chapter" awards from the National Society of Physics Students. spsnational.org
The WSU Cougar flag in low Earth orbit.

In April 2014 the Physics club launched a weather balloon with a camera and the WSU Cougar flag. The balloon reached an altitude of 30,000 meters (98,000 ft) before safely returning to Earth.

Read the full story on WSU News.

Journal clubs

Every research group hosts its own journal club. Meeting weekly or semi-weekly, members review a published article in their general area of study. Journal clubs help attendees keep up to date, broaden their knowledge, and practice presentation skills in an welcoming environment.

Most clubs meet in the conference room on the 12th floor of Webster Building on the Pullman campus. Meeting times vary from semester to semester.

OSA – SPIE student chapter

The WSU chapter of the Optical Society of America (OSA) and Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) recognizes the ubiquity of optical devices in contemporary experimental physics.

For more information see their web pages, or email <osaspiewsu@gmail.com>.

WSU floor hockey club

WSU floor hockey club is a registered student organization (RSO) with the university. It meets once or twice per week in Smith Gym 117. It features short, fun pick-up games. Bring running shoes, and one black and one white T-shirt. All other equipment is provided. No experience necessary. It emphasizes skill development and fair play; healthy body, healthy mind!

A group image of the floor hockey club taken in February 2025.