For photos from the awards ceremony, scroll to the bottom of this page.
FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS
Faculty Promotions
Faculty Awards
Staff Awards
UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
College of Science Alumni Summer Research Fellowship
Thomas Slamecka
College of Science Outstanding Students
First Year: Ishaan Singh
Sophomore: Boyle Chen
Junior: Briana Chen
Senior: Meenakshi McNamara
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.
Amelia Binau
Prof. Ralph Lefler Memorial Award
This award recognizes outstanding undergrads who have demonstrated interest or commitment in teaching K-12 programs as well as outreach programs. Lefler was a pioneer of physics education at Purdue and this award is made possible due to the generosity of a group of his former students.
Dylan Caudill - nominated by David Sederberg
Grace Katz - nominated by David Sederberg
Ramdas Award
The Ramdas Award was established 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.
Gabriel Skowronek - nominated by Niranjan Shivaram
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.
Stephen G. Reeves
David G. Seiler Physics Scholarship
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).
Allison Loper
Ashley Ortiz
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).
Briana Chen
Jaiveer Dutta
Boyle Chen
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.
Gabriel Goodwin
William Messman
Owen Odney
Robert L. Mieher Physics Scholarship
The Mieher Scholarship recognizes outstanding physics upperclassmen and is made possible through the generosity of Dr. Edward B. and Dr. Barbara A. Hale.
Mason Giacchetti
Spira Undergraduate Summer Research Award
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. (BS 1948) and Mrs. Ruth R. Spira.
Jordan Gaines - nominated by Jukka Vayrynen
College of Science Scholarship
The College of Science Scholarships are awarded based on academic performance and a scholarship application essay.
Jacob Tyler Larson
Santiago Lopez
Zachary Miles
Yutika Sawant
Rana Yuvraj
Darin Tsai (no photo available)
EXTERNAL UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS
NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP)
The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution.
Meenakshi McNamara
Honorable Mention: Sara Cuevas-Quiñones
2024 AWM Schafer Prize Winner
In 1990, the Executive Committee of the AWM established the annual Alice T. Schafer Prize for Excellence in Mathematics by an Undergraduate Woman. The prize is named for Alice T. Schafer (1915–2009), one of the founders of AWM and its second president, who contributed greatly to women in mathematics throughout her career.
Meenakshi McNamara
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS
Dr. Warner L. Black Award
This award is given for practical Accomplishments in Physics by Ms. Lona Black Koltick (Prof. Koltick’s late mother) in memory of her grandfather, Dr. Warner Black. As a medical doctor, farmer, peacemaker, politician, teacher, and a man that served the poor and needy, this award will be given to a physicist that is most likely, in a similar way, bring physics to the people and help them improve their lives by using a deep knowledge of fundamental and applied physics.
Bowen Yan - nominated by Shawn Xingshan Cui
Edward S. Akeley Award
The Akeley Award is made possible through the generosity of Instructor Emeritus Anna M. Akeley and recognizes outstanding physics graduate students in theoretical physicists.
Ranadeep Dastidar - nominated by Paul Duffell
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.
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
H.Y. Fan Award
The Fan Award recognizes outstanding graduate research in condensed matter physics, biological physics, or AMO. 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.
Haoyun Huang - nominated by Gabor Csathy
Lijuan Wang Award
The award is given annually to one or more outstanding graduate students who promote the gender diversity of the department.
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
Charlotte Ida Litman Tubis Award
The Charlotte Ida Litman Tubis Award was established in her memory by her husband, to promote clear and concise communication of scientific ideas beyond the physics and astronomy community. Prof. Arnold Tubis was our Department Head 1989-1997.
Bhagya Subrayan - nominated by Dan Milisavljevic
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.
Caden T. LaFontaine - nominated by Andrzej Lewicki
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.
Ben Simon - nominated by Andrzej Lewicki (no photo available)
Karl Lark-Horovitz Award
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.
Bhagya Subrayan - nominated by Dan Milisavljevic
Ramdas Prize in Honor of Professor CV Raman
The Raman Prize recognizes a Ph.D. student or recent alumni for an outstanding dissertation. The Raman 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 professor, Nobel Laureate Sir C. V. Raman
Cheng-An Chen - nominated by Chen-Lung Hung (no photo available)
Rolf Scharenberg Graduate Summer Research Fellowship
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.
Arghya Ranjan Das - working with Mia Liu and Dimitrios Giannios
Dipanjan Das - working with Chen-Lung Hung
Tess Hoover - working with Abigail Polin