Welcome to the Physics Society here at Royal Holloway!
Founded in 2004, we are a 21 year old society that has grown to become a central part of the experience of a physics student at Royal Holloway. We are recognised by the Institute of Physics (IOP) as a Gold Tier Affiliated Society and have become a tight-knit community of aspiring physicists.
Our Aims
Our purpose is to make a welcoming environment for students studying or interested in physics at Royal Holloway. We have three main areas of interest:
1. Socialising
We provide a means, outside of studies, for like-minded individuals to socialise, interact and find new friends!
2. Welfare
Physics is a notoriously difficult subject, and everyone will have ups, downs and some wobbles, but as a society we are here to help ensure your wellbeing is thriving throughout your degree. We aim to aid members in matters of mental and physical help and guide them to find the right resources to ensure they have the most care-free university experience possible.
3. Academic Achievement
If you're considering a degree, it's because you want to succeed! We're here to assist members with their academic studies and foster an environment that promotes and encourages academic achievement.
Since we exist to support our members’ academic achievement, social interactions, and physical and mental welfare, we encourage participation and any contribution – whether you want to help run the society, organise social events or just attend them, we’re always on the lookout for new talent.
Events
Every year we have a huge variety of planned events, these include our annual Pub Crawl, traditional Christmas Meal and fabulous and elegant Easter Ball and our Science Lectures! These are just some of may events that we have each year (in the 23/24 academic year we hosted 80+ events -- that's a whopping 2.5 events every week!).
Below is a list of just some of the events:
- Barbie-heimer,
- Coffee Mornings,
- Pub Quizzes,
- Brunch,
- PhySoc Surgery,
- Late Night at the Science Museum,
- Halloween Screening,
- Men's Mental Health & Cancer Awareness Event,
- Christmas Elf Screening,
- LaTeX and Python Sessions,
- Stargazing Nights,
- Casino Night, and
- Capture the Flag.
The Committee
Here are all the Committee Members for the next academic year of 2025/26!
- President:
Mu' Adh Uddin - Vice President:
Pavendeep Branch - Treasurer:
Zunaria Bilqees - Secretary:
Eleanor O'Callaghan - Events Coordinator:
To be confirmed - Publicity Officer:
Mariam Saik - Academic Officer:
Edwin Varghese - Welfare Officer:
Amie Patel - First Year Representative:
To be confirmed
The Roles
The President(s) is/are the figurehead(s) of the society and it falls on them to have a dream for the Physics Society at Royal Holloway. They have a mission to achieve, and must steer their committee towards a maximum of fun for all physics students.
The Vice-President supports the President and shares the responsibility of overseeing the Committee. They also organise the Christmas Meal, ensure adherence to society policies, and manage the objectivity of Committee elections.
The Treasurer manages the Physics Society's funds, including accounting, processing transactions, and ensuring expense claims are handled efficiently. They may not be the most visible committee member but their role is fundamental to the society's success!
The Secretary handles the organisation of Committee meetings and oversees the Physics Society’s communications. Their duties include taking and distributing meeting minutes and agendas, managing merchandise orders, and posting any relevant administrative updates on social media.
The Events Coordinator plans and manages weekly social events. Their duties include using feedback from the Engagement Officer to tailor events, informing members at least 24 hours in advance, and creating a timetable for upcoming events to be shared on social media and notice boards.
The Publicity Officer is expected to manage the social media channels of the Society, to ensure effective communication between the Society and its members. The role is a vital to the general functioning of the Society, and to help ensure events are well attended.
The Academic Officer ensures the Physics Society includes physics-related activities in its event calendar. They maintain our relationship with the Institute of Physics, organise termly academic events, and overseeing weekly ‘PhySoc Surgery’ sessions.
The Welfare Officer supports members' well-being by co-managing ‘PhySoc Surgery,’ organizing a termly welfare event, posting resources on social media, and ensuring events are inclusive and accessible.
The First Year Representative supports new students by promoting events and gathering feedback to improve first-year experience, combining elements of the Engagement, Academic, and Welfare Officer roles.
Previous Committees
Below is a list of all the previous committees as far as record keeping began. Please let us know if you are aware of any Committee Members for dates beyond our current records, and we will update them accordingly. To contact us, see our 'Contact Us' drop down menu below.
Committee for 2024/25
President(s): Tiago Fernandes de Nobrega and Meghan Moody
Vice-President: Ariel Shimoni
Treasurer: Kieran Gale
Secretary: Jessica Fonka
Events Coordinator: Bethan Twigg
Engagement Officer: Michelene Esteban & Pavendeep Bratch
Academic Officer: Aryan Bakhai
Welfare Officer: Mu' Adh Uddin
First Year Representative: Pavendeep Bratch
Committee for 2023/24
President: Lucie Robbins
Vice-President: Charlie Ross
Treasurer: Ariel Shimoni
Secretary: Meghan Moody
Social Secretary: Tiago Fernandes de Nobrega
Academic Officer: Hagen Thompson
Welfare Officer: Bethan Twigg
First Year Representative: Jazib Qamar
Committee for 2022/23
President: James Hughes
Vice-President: Matthew Webb
Treasurer: Charlie Ross
Secretary: Jake Reilly
Social Secretary: Lucie Robbins
Academic Officer: Julianna Ostrovska
Welfare Officer: Jasleen Kapoor
Committee for 2021/22
President: Ellis Hughes
Vice-President: Irwin Blair
Treasurer: Patrick Fleming
Secretary: Jessica Copeland
Social Secretary: James Hughes
Academic Officer: Nergez Brifkani
Welfare Officer: Edward Armstrong
Governance Advisor: Jools Elliott
Committee for 2020/21
President: Ellie Matthews
Vice-President: Jools Elliott
Treasurer: Alex Prowse
Secretary: Jake Little
Social Secretary: Ellis Hughes
Academic Officer: Gemma Culley
Welfare Officer: Sian Boultby
First Year Liaison : Irwin Blair
Committee for 2019/20
President: Martyn Hickey
Vice-President: Matthew Miller
Treasurer: Jools Elliott
Secretary: Annora Sundararajan
Social Secretary: Ellie Matthews
Astrophysics Representative: Andriana Sotiris
Committee for 2018/19
President: Emily Brookes
Vice-President: Abi Russel
Treasurer: Martyn Hickey
Secretary: Emily Howling
Social Secretary: Caitlin Moore
Astrophysics Representative: Hugh Spackman
Our Resources
Important Documents
Here are some of our important documents:
A Year in Review
As a wrap up to our academic year, we have decided to make 'A Year in Review' document. Make sure to have a look at our achievements over the last academic year!
Resources
Here are some of the resources that we have accumulated over time that may be useful to our members.
- Physics Society Query Form: For welfare concerns
Use the two following documents to make your very own planisphere!
Contact Us
We look forward to seeing you at our events. If you want to get involved, contact us at enquiries.physoc@gmail.com or via our social media accounts:
Alternatively, you can find all our important links through our LinkTree: www.linktr.ee/rhulphysoc
Our Supporters
Below is a list of supporters of the Royal Holloway Physics Society.
Royal Holloway, Department of Physics
Our greatest supporter, the Royal Holloway, Department of Physics, has consistently supported the society since our founding in 2004. Without their support it would not be possible to achieve the successes that we are currently able to reap, so a big thank you!
Institute of Physics
We are an Institute of Physics, Gold Tier Affiliated Society again, allowing us to fund events that would not otherwise be possible. We are incredibly grateful for their continued support!
Professor Stephen Gibson providing his talk on accelerator physics for the Physics Talk of British Science Week 2024, organised by the Royal Holloway Physics Society.
