Contact: Aspen Harris

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Department of Physics and Astronomy again is hosting its annual Physics Summer Camp for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, for those age 14 and older. 

The free, residential camp will be held June 5-9 on the Starkville campus and will include hands-on activities on topics ranging from electricity to aerodynamics, excursions to local facilities, and businesses and group activities. Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled, with priority consideration until April 15. For eligibility requirements, more information and an application, visit www.physics.msstate.edu/physcamp.

Initiated by MSU Assistant Professor of Physics Ben Crider and made possible by a $600,000 National Science Foundation 2019 CAREER grant, the camp itself is a distinctive program.

“The Physics Summer Camp for Students with ASD is a one-of-a-kind camp that provides attendees with a postsecondary STEM experience coupled with campus residency for the duration of the week. Not only do students learn about interesting topics in physics such as electricity and aerodynamics, but they also learn about the opportunities and resources that a four-year university like Mississippi State can provide if they want to pursue a postsecondary degree,” Crider said. “Through our efforts designing the camp in association with the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic and the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability, we have aimed to specifically tailor activities to the needs of students with ASD, and the feedback we have received so far indicates we are on the right track.”

For more on the camp, contact MSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy Business Manager Kathryn McTaggart at kdh210@msstate.edu.

Visit www.physics.msstate.edu to learn more about MSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.