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2019 - 2020 Student Awards

2020-05-12

2019 -2020 Student Awards have been announced from the Purdue University Department of Department of Physics and Astronomy.  
Undergraduate Awards:
Purdue Physics and Astronomy Departmental Awards
Robert Gustafson
Grace Bowling
Gozde Iloglu
William Casey
Moira Andrews
Ethan Zweig
Lijuan Wang Memorial Award 
The Lijuan Wang Memorial award is given annually to one or more outstanding undergraduate physics majors who promote the gender diversity of the department through participation in Women in Physics. Lijuan Wang was a graduate student in the department from 1989 until her untimely death in 1992.
Rachel Lee, nominated by Dr. Dan Milisavljevic
YuXin Dong, nominated by Dr. Dan Milisavljevic
Richard W. King Award
The Richard W. King Award recognizes the Department’s outstanding physics junior and senior. Prof. King joined the Department of Physics in 1955 as an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor in 1958, and to professor in 1961. He served as Department Head from 1966 to 1969. During his years at Purdue, Professor King gained a reputation as an inspiring teacher and sympathetic friend of students. He served for many years as the counselor for undergraduate physics majors. With other students he often took the opportunity to promote the value of a broad science background for students pursuing careers such as teaching, law, journalism, and medicine. Following his untimely death in August 1969, Prof. King’s family, friends, and colleagues established this award.
Braden Buck, Outstanding Junior, nominated by Dr. Chen-Lung Hung
Nicholas Hilgert, Outstanding Senior, nominated by Dr. Andrew Mugler
Shalim and Paula Sargis Memorial Scholarship
The Sargis Scholarship recognizes a physics upperclassman from outside the state of Indiana who also graduated from a U.S. high school. This scholarship is made possible due to the generosity of Dr. James Sargis (BS 1958).
YuXin Dong
Danny Kim
David G. Seiler Physics ScholarshipThe Seiler Scholarship recognizes an outstanding physics upperclassman who is involved in Women in Science or Women in Physics programs. This scholarship is possible due to the generosity of Dr. David G. Seiler (PhD 1969).
Mackenzie Geckler
Arthur N. Pozner Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship recognizes outstanding physics upperclassmen. The scholarship is possible due to the generosity of the Arthur N. Pozner Trust.
Kaustub Anand
Kenneth S. and Paula D. Krane Physics Scholarship
The Krane Scholarship recognizes outstanding physics upperclassmen. The scholarship is possible due to the generosity of Dr. Kenneth S. (PhD 1970) and Mrs. Paula D. Krane.
Darrell Fischer
Allison Earnhardt
Margie and Don Bottorff Undergraduate Physics Scholarship
The Bottorff Scholarship is made possible by a gift from Ms. Celeste Bottorff (MS 1975). The scholarship is a 1-year award made to outstanding physics upperclassmen.
Faith Bergin
Andrew Burgess
Rachel Lee
Nicholas Spano
Ramdas Award
the Lark-Horovitz Distinguished Professor of Physics and his wife, Vasanti Ramdas. The purpose of the Ramdas Award is to recognize an exceptional senior who has completed a unique project in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Nicholas Hilgert, nominated by Dr. Andrew Mugler
Frederik J. Belinfante Scholarship in Physics
This scholarship recognizes outstanding physics upperclassmen. The scholarship is possible due to the generosity of Dr. Robert Newcomb (BS 1955).

Matthew Schulz
College of Science Honors Convocation Student Honorees
Darrell Fischer, Freshman
Allison Earnhardt, Sophomore
Matthew Schulz, Junior
Andrew Santos, Senior

Link to awards booklet

Graduate Student Awards
Karl Lark-Horovitz Award
Our Department’s most prestigious graduate student honor, the Lark-Horovitz Award recognizes outstanding research accomplishments. The award is possible through the generosity of the faculty as well as the family, friends, and associates of Prof. Lark-Horovitz in memory of his great contribution to the growth and development of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Zhujing Xu, Nominated by PhD advisor Tongcang Li
George W. Tautfest Award
This award honors outstanding physics graduate students in high energy particle physics, high energy nuclear physics, or astrophysics. Prof. Tautfest was the leader of the Purdue High Energy Physics group until his death in 1967 at age 41. The award was established in 1969 by his colleagues and the Purdue Alumni Foundation.
Rui Xiao, Nominated by PhD advisor Wei Xie
Gabriele F. Giuliani Award
Established in 2013 in memory of Prof. Gabriele F. Giuliani, this award honors excellence in teaching by first- or second-year graduate students. These graduate students show dedication and dependability, and, like Professor Giuliani, demonstrate a passion for physics that contributes to a rich learning environment.
Francis F. Walz, Nominated by Andrew Lewicki; PhD advisor Niranjan Shivaram
H. Y. Fan Award
The Fan Award recognizes outstanding graduate research in condensed matter physics, biological physics, or AMO physics. The award was established in recognition of Prof. Fan’s many contributions to condensed matter physics, particularly in the area of infrared studies of semiconductors, and to the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Tzu-Han Chang, Nominated by PhD advisor Chen-Lung Hung
Akeley-Mandler Award for Teaching Excellence
The Akeley-Mandler Award recognizes exceptional graduate student teaching assistants who excel beyond the mere requirements of the job, investing their effort to ensure that they provide the best education possible to their students. This award is made possible thanks to a gift made by Instructor Emeritus Anna Akeley in memory of her husband, Prof. Edward S. Akeley, and brother, Kurt Mandler.
Amanda O. Harrison, Nominated by Andrew Lewicki and Rafael Lang
Edward S. Akeley Award
This award recognizes outstanding physics graduate students in theoretical physicists. The Akeley Award is made possible through the generosity of Instructor Emeritus Anna M. Akeley.
Michael D. Higgins, Nominated by PhD advisor Christopher Greene
Charlotte Ida Litman Tubis Award
The Charlotte Ida Litman Tubis Award was established in her memory by her husband, Prof. Emeritus Arnold Tubis, to promote clear and concise communication of scientific ideas beyond the physics and astronomy community.
Yang Cao, PhD advisor Oana Malis
Project: Photoluminescence of non-polar Nitride Semiconductors
Dr. Warner Black Award
The Black Award recognizes graduate students whose research has the potential to bring physics to the people and to help them improve their lives by using a deep knowledge of fundamental and applied physics to make practical and useful inventions that have a real and lasting impact.
Alireza K. Ravari, Nominated by PhD advisor Yulia Pushkar
Rolf Scharenberg Graduate Fellowship
The Rolf Scharenberg Graduate Fellowship was established in 2017 through the generosity of Wendell and Nancy Lutz. The fellowships allow first- or second-year graduate students to work with a research advisor for a summer prior to joining a research group permanently.
Kiran Dixit, Nominated by PhD advisor Arnab Banerjee
Project: Studying phonons and magnons in frustrated magnetic systems
Jijun Chen, Nominated by PhD advisor David Koltick
Project: Muon luminosity measurement for charged lepton flavor violation
Xinchao Zhou, Nominated by PhD advisor Chen-Lung Hung
Project: Exploring atom-light coupling on a microring photonic resonator
Andrew J. Wildridge, Nominated by PhD advisor Andreas Jung
Project: Multi-dimensional vertex finding at CMS with a D-Wave quantum annealer
Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship
The Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship provides support to outstanding Ph.D. candidates in their final year of writing.
Rui Xiao, Nominated by PhD advisor Wei Xie
Project: Study lambda_C baryon production in proton-proton and lead-lead collisions at 5.02 TeV in CMS experiment at the LHC
Shivam Gupta, Nominated by PhD advisor Andrew Mugler
Project: Timing precision of stochastic processes in gene networks, development, and other biological phenomena
Alireza Ravari Karbkhsh, Nominated by PhD advisor Yulia Pushkar
Project: Study of ruthenium-based water oxidation catalysts
Tingting Shen, Nominated by PhD advisor Joerg Appenzeller
Project: Beyond CMOS Devices: Logic, Memory and Interconnects
Lijuan Wang Memorial Awards
The Lijuan Wang Memorial award is given annually to one or more outstanding graduate student majors who promote the gender diversity of the department through participation in Women in Physics. Lijuan Wang was a graduate student in the department from 1989 until her untimely death in 1992.

Trang T. Nguyen, Nominated by PhD advisor Oana Malis

Link to awards booklet

Last Updated: Aug 17, 2020 6:11 PM

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