Particle physicists from around the world converge on SURF to build collaborations at the annual CETUP* workshop
The Institute for Underground Science at SURF is hosting particle physicists from 18 countries this summer at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) to collaborate on some of the most pressing questions in physics.
This summer, The Institute for Underground Science at SURF is hosting particle physicists from 18 countries at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota to collaborate on some of the most pressing questions in physics.
The Center for Theoretical Underground Physics *and Related Areas (CETUP*) workshop is the 9th in the series. It runs for four weeks from June 9 - July 12, 2025, and includes about 70 theorists, experimentalists, and students representing 57 institutions and five major laboratories.
The annual CETUP* workshop includes various week-long sessions focusing on advancing theories related to both dark matter and neutrino physics. Over the years, CETUP* participants have gone on to contribute advancements in the forefront of the field. In total CETUP* has fostered collaborations that resulted in the publication of more than 160 scientific papers.
But for many, the value of CETUP* is about more than just the number of publications, it’s about the scientific advancement created when collaborations are formed.
Dr. Barbara Szczerbinska is a professor of physics and associate dean for academic affairs at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She first established CETUP* in 2011. For Szczerbinska, the success of the program is in the relationships that are created and evolve when researchers who are passionate about their fields of study find themselves in the same place.
“The fact that CETUP* brings people together, especially young scientists and more senior scientists, who maybe have never collaborated in the past, land in the same room listening to each other’s presentations. Suddenly, they start collaborating,” Szczerbinska said. “I think the real value of CETUP* is the inspiration that yields collaborations between people who come from different locations with different backgrounds, and who bring different contributions. It’s inside these collaborations that real breakthroughs can occur."
CETUP* also provides an opportunity for visiting researchers to interact with the local community. Attendees in the 2025 CETUP* workshop will take part in weekly Pub Talks & Trivia in Lead. The talks are informal in a
A "Pub Talk" at Dakota Shivers Brewing in Lead, SD in the summer of 2025. The Pub Talks are free and open to the public with fun and engaging content each week throughout the CETUP* workshop.
relaxed setting and take place from 8–10 p.m. on Thursdays, including upcoming June 19 and again on July 3 and 10. CETUP* attendees will also lead a panel discussion on July 12 as part of Neutrino Day, SURF’s citywide free science festival.
A special CETUP* education session is being organized in July with undergraduate students from Texas, Black Hills State University, and SURF. CETUP* will also include “student mentoring days,” where undergraduates will join the scientists and engage in a career panel, one-on-one mentoring, and have a chance to observe research collaboration discussions. Furthermore, CETUP* participants will interact with guest speakers on important industry topics such as science communication and education research, that intersect with their own fields of study.
Dr. Julia Gehrlein, an assistant professor of physics at Colorado State University attended CETUP* in 2023 and 2024. She is a theoretical particle physicist who specializes in the study of neutrinos. Gehrlein considers the opportunities to interact with both students and community in Lead a highlight of the workshop.
“It was a fantastic opportunity. I really enjoyed meeting some of the students and connecting with the next generation. I want the students to know that they can come talk to the researchers at CETUP*, and as researchers we look forward to inspiring and being inspired by the next generation of scientists,” Gehrlein said.
In 2013 and 2015, CETUP* hosted the Particle Physics and Cosmology Conference. This year the conference is again returning to the Black Hills with The Institute serving as the host. The XVIII International Conference on Interconnections between Particle Physics and Cosmology (PPC 2025) takes place June 23-28, 2025, in Deadwood, SD.
PPC 2025 is touted as an event to bring together scientists associated with particle physics and cosmology to deliberate and explore the deep interconnections between the micro- and macro-worlds, connecting structures from the smallest to the largest scales in the universe.
PPC and CETUP* are two examples of many programs hosted by The Institute that aim to foster multidisciplinary collaboration and communication in underground science and to drive forward scientific breakthroughs and innovation.
Dr. Mary Bishai is an experimental particle physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory and a leading scientific collaborator in the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). She gives praise to The Institute for Underground Science at SURF for the role it is playing in building scientific community.
“You cannot have these massive scientific experiments without the scientific community,” Bishai said. “I do applaud the effort of the Institute for Underground Science. I would like to see it grow and host more events. As we build the DUNE detectors, we will be engaging with a much larger scientific community that will be coming to SURF in the coming years.”
Those who want to know more about CETUP* and The Institute for Underground Science at SURF can visit the webpage here.
