The Department of Physics is excited to announce that Colorado State University has received a 2025 Public Engagement Mini-Grant from the APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics (DCMP). This competitive program supports creative projects that bring condensed matter science to broader audiences.

The funded proposal, “Quantum Matter You Can Touch: Making Condensed Matter Physics Tangible Through Outreach,” was submitted by Dr. Yulia Maximenko (faculty PI), working in collaboration with Heather Michalak (Director of the Little Shop of Physics) and Adam Pearlstein.

This project builds on the longstanding outreach infrastructure of the Little Shop of Physics, which has spent over 30 years engaging tens of thousands of learners across Colorado and neighboring states. With this new grant, the team will develop hands-on condensed matter demonstrations that will be incorporated into LSOP’s traveling programs, enhancing public access to advanced solid-state physics concepts and involving undergraduate and graduate students in the creation and presentation of the new materials.

The American Physical Society selected only five proposals nationwide for funding this year, from a pool of fourteen submissions. CSU is proud to be among the recipients.

Congratulations to Dr. Maximenko, Heather Michalak, and Adam Pearlstein on this achievement!