CCNY student chapter wins physics’ Blake Lilly Prize again

The City College of New York’s Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapter is the winner of the Blake Lilly Prize from the American Institute of Physics (AIP). The award recognizes SPS chapters and individuals who make a genuine effort to positively influence the attitudes of school children and the general public about physics.

“Your chapter’s outreach efforts and dedication to physics education have visibly made a difference in your community and the SPS National Office is proud to present you with this prestigious award,” Brad R. Conrad, director, Society of Physics Students & Sigma Pi Sigma at AIP, congratulated the CCNY group, which  first won the award in 2018.

City College’s stellar chapter runs a vigorous STEM outreach program in partnership with several community groups, including:

• Hamilton Grange Middle School; 
• PS 325 Elementary School;
• America Scores; 
• The New York Math Academy; 
• The Bridge Golf Foundation; and 
• The Eagle Academy of Harlem. 

“Most of these institutions serve an underprivileged population. This has allowed us to reach a large number of primarily minority elementary, middle and high school students,” said Sebastian Franco, physics professor in the Division of Science and the CCNY chapter’s faculty advisor. “The chapter invites students and their teachers from these institutions and for science presentations that integrate exciting hands-on experiments.”

More than 600 public school students have participated in the STEM program since its inception in 2015.

The Blake Lilly Prize is the latest honor for the CCNY chapter. In December, the group won SPS’ Outstanding Chapter Award for the third year in a row. The accolade continued recognition of the chapter for its excellence as a top-tier student-led physical sciences organization, a designation given to fewer than 15 percent of all SPS chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and internationally.

CCNY is ranked by the American Institute of Physics as one of the top producers of physics graduates in the nation.

About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.