Earlier this semester, Natalie Rugg '21 (she/hers) and Isabel Horst '22 (she/hers) spoke with us about their experiences as Physics DUG leaders. Read our interview below:
---
Why did you decide to be a DUG leader?
N: Originally I had just joined physics about a year later than most people. I didn’t feel like I fit in, just being a woman and [entering] late, so I really wanted to be able to make a place for myself in physics because I was just really concerned I would drop out of the degree. So I applied and thankfully got in. I had a lot of leadership experience in high school.
I've been doing this for about two years, and I find that the most fulfilling thing about it is not that I feel I fit in with the department but that I can help other people feel like they fit in — creating resources and events and bringing people together is just, I really enjoy it.
I: Same themes I guess but not same experience. I also came here and got involved with the Physics DUG. One of our old DUG coordinators Daniel was one of the main reasons I came to Brown. He led the sciences tour when I toured [Brown] as a high school senior. We ended up talking for a really long time afterwards and staying in touch. When I ended up coming to Brown, one of my first experiences was the Physics DUG, which I think is really unique and special. Like Natalie, I just really felt like I had found a place there. It made me really excited about things that I could actually do to improve the community, and I think that’s why I wanted to be a coordinator and not just a member. I was just a member for a year and a half, and then I decided to apply for leadership. I saw all the cool things that it was doing to bring people together and I thought there was a lot there that I could bring to the table.
Exactly what Natalie said, it’s so cool to see how we can really create a community for people and what we can do to make people feel included, especially because a lot of the hard sciences can tend to be very insular and intimidating. I think especially having two women as part of the three heads of a DUG for one of the really hard science disciplines [says] to people, ‘Physics doesn’t have to be so scary.’
What are some of the challenges/rewards?
N: I would say one of the challenges of being a coordinator for the DUG is just getting people to come [to events] and prove to them this is a valuable experience for them and making friends and having a good time. I don't think as a member there are too many difficulties; we're inclusive and a non-competitive environment. I feel like we've conquered that.
I: I can say ditto on just getting people to show up to things. There’s so much going on at Brown all the time. Everyone is so saturated with advertisements for events, and it is really hard to actually make yours get to people.
To learn more about the Physics DUG and how to get involved, please visit one of the links listed below: