Student Awards and Honors

Undergraduate Student Awards and Scholarships

Ramdas Award

Nicholas Hilgert

The Ramdas Award award was establish in 2018 by Anant K. Ramdas, 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.

Frederik J. Belinfante Scholarship in Physics

Matthew Schulz

This scholarship recognizes outstanding physics upperclassmen. The scholarship is possible due to the generosity of Dr. Robert Newcomb (BS 1955).

Lijuan Wang Memorial Award

Rachel Lee
YuXin Dong

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.

Richard W. King Award

Braden Buck | Outstanding Junior
Nicholas Hilgert | Outstanding Senior

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.

Shalim and Paula Sargis Memorial Scholarship

YuXin Dong
Danny Kim

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).

David G. Seiler Physics Scholarship

Mackenzie Geckler

The 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).

Arthur N. Pozner Memorial Scholarship

Kaustub Anand

This scholarship recognizes outstanding physics upperclassmen. The scholarship is possible due to the generosity of the Arthur N. Pozner Trust.

Kenneth S. and Paula D. Krane Physics Scholarship

Darrell Fischer
Allison Earnhardt

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.

Margie and Don Bottorff Undergraduate Physics Scholarship

• Faith Bergin
• Andrew Burgess
• Rachel Lee
• Nicholas Spano

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.

Purdue Physics and Astronomy Departmental Awards

• Robert Gustafson
• Grace Bowling
• Gozde Iloglu
• William Casey
• Moira Andrews
• Ethan Zweig

College of Science Honors Convocation Student Honorees

• Darrell Fischer - Freshman
• Allison Earnhardt - Sophomore
• Matthew Schulz - Junior
• Andrew Santos - Senior

Graduate Student Awards and Scholarships

Karl Lark-Horovitz Award

Zhujing Xu

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.

Gabriele F. Giuliani Award

Francis F. Walz

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.

George W. Tautfest Award

Rui Xiao

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.

H. Y. Fan Award

Tzu-Han Chang

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.

Charlotte Ida Litman Tubis Award

Yang Cao

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.

Dr. Warner Black Award

Alireza K. Ravari

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.

Edward S. Akeley Award

Michael D. Higgins

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.

Akeley-Mandler Award for Teaching Excellence

Amanda O. Harrison

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.

Lijuan Wang Memorial Awards

Trang T. Nguyen

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.

Rolf Scharenberg Graduate Fellowship

• Kiran Dixit
• Xinchao Zhou
• Jijun Chen
• Andrew J. Wildridge

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.

Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship

• Rui Xiao
• Alireza Ravari Karbkhsh
• Shivam Gupta
• Tingting Shen

The Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship provides support to outstanding Ph.D. candidates in their final year of writing.