Energy Transfer: USU Physics Day at Lagoon Powered by Dedicated Volunteers

Utah State University Department of Physics and partner Idaho National Laboratory hosted their 38th annual USU Physics Day on May 15 at Lagoon, welcoming some 8,000 teens from throughout the Intermountain West to the Northern Utah amusement park for a day of thrills, chills, STEM learning and impressive scholarships and prizes.

“We had a great day and were excited to see so many students getting involved in hands-on science learning fun,” says J.R. Dennison, professor in USU’s Department of Physics, a Physics Day founder and a longtime coordinator of the event. “It takes a lot of dedicated people to pull off an event like this, so we’re very grateful to our generous sponsors, our staff and our volunteers who return again and again to help us make the magic happen.”

Dennison says more than a hundred volunteers sign up and show up each year to set up activities, lead competitions, serve as judges, coordinate prizes, hand out T-shirts and lunch tickets, and pitch in with the myriad of tasks needed to help the massive event run smoothly.

“Our volunteers are students, alumni, employees from corporate and government sponsors, staff members from USU and INL, and often family members and friends of all of the above,” he says. “In addition, USU colleges, departments and student clubs show up with exhibits and demonstrations to share. It’s a labor of love and we greatly appreciate it.”

Caleb Black, who graduated from USU with a bachelor’s degree in physics in December 2025 and is currently a graduate student at the University of Utah, first experienced Physics Day while attending as a student from Riverview Junior High School in Murray, Utah.

“I remember how much fun I had and how the experience influenced my decision to attend Utah State,” says Black, who volunteered for the 2026 event along with brother Micah Black, a U. student. “I love returning to be involved with outreach at Physics Day, because I learn so much from the questions students ask me. There’s always something new to learn and think about when it comes to physics.”

USU undergraduate Gabriel Decker, a dual physics and computer science major, returned for a second year of volunteer service at Physics Day.

“It’s a fun experience and a great opportunity for teens to learn about how science can be applied to everyday things,” says Decker, who assisted teens measuring G-forces with self-built accelerometers on the Wicked vertical launch roller coaster. “Helping students learn about physics also helps me think about concepts from different perspectives and improves my communication skills.”

Physics undergraduate Reed Fuller stayed busy throughout the daylong event helping teens check in for competitions and in setting up amusement park ride designs they’d labored over for months to bring to Lagoon.

“It’s a lot of fun to talk with students and hear about the process they went through to design an amusement park ride of the future,” Fuller says. “They put a lot of thought and effort into their projects, and it’s interesting to hear their insights. Physics Day is also a good time to talk about their future interests and how they can benefit from continuing their studies at Utah State.”

Utah State Admissions awarded $18,000 in scholarships to high school students participating in the day’s annual Physics Bowl competition. Members of the first-place team, Paul Larsen, Elliott Dunlap and Aloyn Westcott of Green Canyon High School in North Logan, Utah, each received $4,000 scholarships to Utah State. Members of the second-place team, Addyson Boren, Oliver Collings and William Anderson of Alta High School in Sandy, Utah, each received $2,000 scholarships to USU. These scholarships, to be disbursed over four years, will be added to any other USU academic scholarships the incoming first-year students may be awarded.

“Award recipients in the day’s other competitions, including amusement park ride design, logo design, the G-forces competition and the Egg Drop competition, received science-themed prizes donated by our sponsors,” Dennison says. “We’re grateful to all the organizations and individuals who make this event possible, fun and enriching each year.”