2024 PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY AWARDS Welcome to the Purdue Physics and Astronomy Awards! Please join us as we recognize our faculty, staff, and students with awards representing excellence in the classroom, laboratory, and workplace. Awards were given on April 25, 2-3:00pm in room PHYS290.

For photos from the awards ceremony, scroll to the bottom of this page.

FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS

Faculty Promotions

T. Matthew Jones - promoted to full professor
Kyoung-Soo Lee - promoted to full professor

Faculty Awards

Paul Duffell - Excellence in Graduate Advising AND SPIRA Award for Graduate Teaching. Both awards are nominated by the Physics Graduate Student Association (PGSA).
Dan Milisavljevic - SPIRA Award for Undergraduate Teaching. Nominated by SPS (Society of Physics Students)
Qi Zhou - 2024 Faculty Scholar
Maxim Lyutikov, - APS Fellow
Niranjan Shivaram - W. M. Keck Foundation Grant
Chris Greene - W. M. Keck Foundation Grant
Tongcang Li - 2023 Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigator Award

Staff Awards

Robert Austin, Lecturer - College of Science Outstanding Service Award
Jeffrey Gerber, Lecturer - College of Science Outstanding Service Award
Austin Beidelman, Demonstration Assistant - College of Science Customer Service Award
Lindsey Eggold, Senior Graduate Coordinator - College of Science Customer Service Award
Sonia Hill, Administrative Assistant - College of Science Customer Service Award
Lan Luo, Laboratory Chemist - College of Science Leadership Award
Brian Mason, Tandem Accelerator Laboratory Engineer - College of Science Professional Achievement Award
Robin Sipes, Associate Administrative Assistant - College of Science Customer Service Award
Laura Urba, Lecturer - College of Science Outstanding Service Award

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

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.

James Gabriel Strayhorn

Jordan Larson

Kyle Ohlin

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).

Mason Giacchetti

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

Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship

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

Batao Du

Jonah Quirk

Deepak Suresh

Xinchao Zu

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

Photo Gallery from Awards Reception

2024 COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AWARDS

2022 Purdue University College of Science student honors, commencement information, and commencement day procedures.

A shoutout of congratulations to the Physics and Astronomy class of 2023-24!