The Physics Dispatch

The Physics Dispatch was born out of necessity. In the spring of 2023, I was frantically searching for REUs and summer research positions that would accept international students. It felt just like my college application process three years earlier, except the acceptance rates for these programs were even more daunting—some dipping below 0.1%. The experience was frustrating, and as I talked with classmates facing the same struggles, it became clear that our Physics department wasn’t meeting the needs of its growing and diverse student body. A dedicated resource was missing.

Around that time, I was reading The Infinite Game, which spurred me to articulate a clear purpose for my fledgling newsletter. Ultimately, I settled on: “making physics easier to navigate.” Physics isn’t necessarily challenging because of its content, but because it demands so much of your time and energy—often at the expense of other pursuits. By curating opportunities in one place, I hoped The Physics Dispatch would relieve at least one of the biggest hurdles: finding and securing research positions.

What started as a simple inventory of available research programs has since evolved into a full-fledged newsletter featuring alumni interviews, faculty insights, and student success stories. I’m proud to say that The Physics Dispatch now has around 400 subscribers, forming a supportive community dedicated to making physics more accessible for everyone.