Undergraduate Physics and ChemPhys Advising and Support

Undergraduate Team

All Physics and Chem/Phys students automatically have both the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies (ADUS) as advisors (see contacts below). You are encouraged to talk with them at any time about anything, including course selection, future plans, lab work, concentration requirements, and problems with courses. 

Students are also supported by our Undergraduate Program Administrator (UPA), who handles undergraduate payroll and research fellowships, works closely with the Society of Physics students, and can help with anything involving student life and work in physics.

Sonia Paban
Senior Lecturer on Physics; Senior Research Scientist in Physics; Director of Undergraduate Studies
Sonia Paban is a high-energy theorist currently working on early universe physics. She is interested in understanding the effects of many active fields during inflation. Most recently, she has studied the robustness of inflation to inhomogeneous initial...
Photo of Dr. Paban

Anna Klales
Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies
Lecturer on Physics

Click profile for contact information, office hours, and appointments.

Dr. Anna Klales

Individual Concentration Advisors

When you declare Physics or Chemistry & Physics as your concentration, you also select an academic advisor from the faculty. Your faculty advisor acts as a mentor to help you down the Physics or Chem/Phys path by passing on some real physics advice about what subjects are good to know, what lab experience is good to have, etc. Advisors and advisees can see each other's information in my.harvard.

Advisors and advisees should meet at least twice each semester to discuss classes and future plans and such. The meetings normally take place at the start of the semester and again during prior-term registration, about midway through the term. To set up a meeting time, advisors should email their advisees, and students should email their advisors. Both parties should take the initiative to make sure the meetings happen, so that even if one person forgets, the meetings will still occur. In addition to providing advice, the advisor will also provide the necessary signature on the student's Crimson Cart.

Note: Concerning concentration requirements and course substitutions, the DUS and the ADUS have seen all the ins and outs and variations on these, so students are encouraged to save such questions for them. In short, in the student-advisor meetings, both parties can (to a reasonable approximation) pretend that there are no course numbers or requirements to worry about. 

The ADUS and DUS very much enjoy meeting with students at the beginning of the semester. However, past experience has led to the new rule: To encourage students to meet with their individual advisors, they will lift holds on Crimson Carts only if the student has already met with his/her individual advisor. So students should stop by their offices (either to discuss things or to just get a signature) in addition to seeing the individual advisor.