Student Awards and Honors

Undergraduate Student Awards and Scholarships

Astronaut Award (external)

Santiago Lopez and Briana Chen (2024)

College of Science Alumni Summer Research Fellowship

Thomas Slamecka

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) and also 2024 AWM Schafer Prize Winner

Arianna Meenakshi McNamara

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Honorable Mention

Sara Cuevas-Quiñones

Ramdas Award

Gabriel Skowronek

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.

Spira Undergraduate Summer Research Award

Jordan Gaines

This award supports one or more students working on a research project under the supervision of a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and/or the Department of Mathematics.  The Spira Summer Research Award is made possible thanks to the generosity of Dr. Joel S. (BS1948) and Mrs. Ruth R. Spira.

Lijuan Wang Memorial Award

Amelia Binau

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.

Ralph Lefler Memorial Award

Dylan Caudill

Grace Katz

This award recognizes outstanding undergraduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy who have demonstrated interest or commitment in teaching K-12 programs after graduation. The award also recognizes students who significantly contribute to Physics and Astronomy outreach programs offered to K-12 students. Professor Ralph Lefler was a pioneer of physics education at Purdue and the Ralph Lefler Memorial Award is made possible due to the generosity of a group of his former students.

Frederik J. Belinfante Scholarship in Physics

Briana Chen

Jaiveer Dutta

Boyle Chen

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

Shalim and Paula Sargis Memorial Scholarship

Mason Giacchetti

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

Allison Loper

Ashley Ortiz

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

Stephen G. Reeves

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

Gabriel Goodwin

William Messman

Owen Odney

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.

Robert L. Mieher Physics Scholarship

Mason Giacchetti

The Mieher Scholarship recognizes outstanding physics upperclassmen and is made possible through the generosity of Dr. Edward B. and Dr. Barbara A. Hale.

Margie and Don Bottorff Undergraduate Physics Scholarship

James Gabriel Strayhorn

Jordan Larson

Kyle Ohlin

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.

College of Science Outstanding Student

• Ishaan Signh - Freshman
• Boyle Chen - Sophomore
• Briana Chen - Junior
• Arianna Meenakshi McNamara - Senior

Science Physics Scholarships

• Jacob Tyler Larson
• Santiago Lopez
• Zachary Miles
• Yutika Sawant
• Darin Tsai
• Rana Yuvraj

Complete list of undergraduate awards for the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Graduate Student Awards and Scholarships

Karl Lark-Horovitz Award

Bhagya Subrayan - nominated by Dan Milisavljevic

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.

Ramdas Prize in Honor of Professor CV Raman

Cheng-An Chen - nominated by Chen-Lung Hung

The Ramdas Prize in Honor of Professor CV Ramane recognizes a Ph.D. student or recent alumni for an outstanding dissertation. The Ramdas Prize was established in 2018 by Anant K. Ramdas, the Lark-Horovitz Distinguished Professor (Emeritus) of Physics and Astronomy, and his wife Vasanti Ramdas, to honor Anant's teacher, Nobel Laureate Sir C. V. Raman.

Gabriele F. Giuliani Award

Ben Simon - nominated by Dr. Andrzej Lewicki

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

Soumik Chandra - nominated by Wei Xie

Dillon Hasenour - nominated by Paul Duffell

Kwing Lam Leung - nominated by Nima Lashkari

Bhagya Subrayan - nominated by Dan Milisavljevic

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

Haoyun Huang - nominated by Gabor Csathy

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

Bhagya Subrayan

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

Bowen Yan - nominated by Shawn Xingshan Cui

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

Ranadeep Dastidar - nominated by Paul Duffell

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

Caden T. LaFontaine- nominated by Andrzej Lewicki

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

Jijun Chen - nominated by David Koltick

Tatiana de Picoli Ferreira - nominated by Erica Carlson

Razan Hamed - nominated by Sanjay Rebello

Ramya Suresh - nominated by Erica Carlson

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 Summer Research Fellowship

Arghya Ranjan Das

Dipanjan Das

Tess Hoover

This Fellowship was established in 2017 through the generosity of Wendell and Nancy Lutz and allows 1st- or 2nd-year graduate students to work with a research advisor for a summer prior to joining a research group permanently.

Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship

Batao Du (2023-24)

Jonah Quirk (2023-24)

Deepak Suresh (2023-24)

Xinchao Zu (2023-24)

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

Complete list of graduate awards for the Department of Physics and Astronomy.