Ian W. Shepherd Award
The Ian W. Shepherd Memorial Award was established in 1979 in honor of Department Chair Ian Shepherd, who led the department from August 1977 until his untimely death in January 1978.
Shepherd, who was affiliated with Cornell University, Dupont, and Manchester University
before joining Michigan Tech, was deeply interested polymer spectroscopy and hoped
to make Michigan Tech a center for Raman spectroscopy.
The award is presented each year to the most outstanding physics graduate or graduates.
The most promising of seniors are presented with a check and have their names engraved
on a plaque, which is displayed in the physics department.
- 2024 - Michael Martin
- 2023 - Alexander Gonzalez
- 2022 - Trevor Kieft
- 2021 - Carter Mashburn
- 2020 - Adam Krueger and River Leversee
- 2019 - Nathan Schlorke
- 2018 - Illiya Chibirev and Crystal Massoglia
- 2017 - Ben Manning and Kelci Mohrman
- 2016 - Angela Small
- 2015 - Mick Small
- 2014 - Michael Adler
- 2013 - Tyler Plamondon
- 2012 - Greg Lau and Peter Solfest
- 2011 - Eric Peterson
- 2010 - Hansen Nordsiek
- 2009 - Daniel Kestner and Jamie Bougher
- 2008 - Stephanie Irish
- 2007 - Adam DeConinck and Joe Grochowski
- 2006 - Mathew Davenport
- 2005 - Joshua Anderson
- 2004 - Mike Ftaclas and Jason Kestner
- 2003 - Dan Nezich
- 2002 - Dan Boline and Peter Kiefer
- 2001 - Dan Lanterman and Sigfriend Tsun Ip
- 2000 - Kevin Landmark
- 1997 - Heather Lewandowski
- 1996 - William T. Nichols
- 1994 - Scott J. Peltier
- 1993 - James F. Harrison
- 1992 - Brent A. Boyce
- 1991 - Joel A. Keranen and Adam Letendre II
- 1990 - Harold T. Evensen
- 1989 - Ulrich J. Greiner
- 1998 - Dean M. Thelen
- 1987 - Stephen M. Long
- 1986 - Joel H. Graber
- 1985 - Susan E. Hill
- 1984 - Thomas R. Kugler
- 1983 - Mark W. Jacobs
- 1982 - Kimberly J. Schaudt
- 1981 - David G. Michelini
- 1980 - Steven M. Soltesz
- 1979 - Brenda R. Smith
Elizabeth Henes Award
The Elizabeth Henes Award was established in 2022, in honor of Elizabeth Henes. Mrs. Henes, along with her husband Richard, were the benefactors of the The Elizabeth and Richard Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena. Mrs. Henes had a desire to honor female physics students, believing that students
at Michigan Tech have the potential to change the world.
"Their gift changed our physics laboratories and made things start to happen. This
will always be remembered."Jacek Borysow
The Henes Award is presented yearly to the most outstanding undergraduate woman in
physics, as judged by the faculty of the Department of Physics. Students will receive
a check and have their names engraved on a plaque placed permanently in the department.
- 2024 - Lauren Megdanoff
- 2023 - Tea Momirovska
- 2022 - Betheny Hellman and Casey Aldrich
Department Scholar
The Department Scholar a rising senior who best represents student scholarship at
Michigan Tech. This outstanding student is considered excellent not only by academic
standards, but also for participation in research scholarship activity, levels of
intellectual curiosity, creativity, and communication skills.
- 2024 - Austin West
- 2023 - Michael Martin
- 2022 - Alex Gonzalez
- 2021 - Carter Mashburn
- 2020 - Casey Aldrich
- 2019 - River Leversee
- 2018 - Jon Berman
- 2017 - Crystal Massoglia
- 2016 - Floyd Johnson
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Provost's Award for Scholarship
The recipient of this award is chosen from among the previous year’s Department Scholars.
Goldwater Scholar
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is a highly competitive national award that supports juniors and seniors preparing
for research careers in natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellowship
The Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellowship seeks to attract talented, committed
individuals with backgrounds in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics—into teaching in high-need Georgia secondary schools.
Henes Summer Research Fellowships
- 2024 - Daniel Barr
- 2024 - Lucas Hetrick
- 2024 - Walker Schumann
- 2023 - Hannah Bloomfield
- 2023 - Grant Lambert
- 2023 - Breanna Patz
- 2023 - Jonathan Willis
- 2022 - Grant Lambert
Advisor: Issei Nakamura
Project: New strategy to solve the traveling salesman problem using Molecular Dynamic simulations
- 2022 - Willis Jonathan
Project: νNECOLA: The pathway between COLA and QUIJOTE simulations
- 2022 - Patz Breanna
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: NASA challenge Starshade design
- 2022 - Alexander Gonzalez
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Project: Designing a photoacoustic apparatus to measure light absorption of soot
- 2022 - Benj Sloma
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Project: Use of dynamic photoacoustic spectroscopy (DPAS) to measure light absorbance of aerosols
- 2022 - Sidney Ogilvie
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: Calibrating a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) for detection of gaseous compounds via Raman spectroscopy
- 2022 - Jason Flittie
Advisor: Jae Yong Suh
Project: Nanomaterial characterization with fluorescent photon time-correlation statistics
- 2022 - James Turkovich
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Project: Internally functionalized boron nitride nanotubes
- 2021 - Logan Andersen
Advisor: Robert Nemiroff
Project: Light Curves, From Relativistic Image Doubling
- 2021 - Benjamin Sloma
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Project: Photoacoustic Spectroscopy, application to Aerosols
- 2021 - James Turkovich
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Project: Cutting Efficiency and Length Uniformity of Thin Diameter BNNTs
- 2021 - Zoe Gaertner
Advisor: Jae Yong Suh
Project: Quantum Correlation of photons
- 2021 - Marc Fritts
Advisor: Kartik Iyer
Project: Simulation Results of Scalar Advection in Turbulence
- 2021 - Trevor Kieft
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: Filter based Raman Spectrometer
- 2021 - Dalton Knight
Advisor: Katrina Black
Project: Assessing the Self-Assessment of Students in Physics
- 2021 - Carter Mashburn
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: Pure Rotational Raman Sensor
- 2021 - Bethany Hellman
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: Laser Diode Tapered Amplifier for Raman Spectroscopy
- 2020 - Alan Larson
Advisor: Petra Huentemeyer
Project: X-ray Analysis of the Supernova Remnant IC 443
- 2020 - Carter Mashburn
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: Raman Spectroscopy as a High Precision Temperature Sensor
- 2020 - Kaiden O'Neill
Advisor: Will Cantrell
Project: Understanding the Heterogeneous Freezing of Water Using Dilute Solutions and Mica
as a Model System
- 2020 - Wolfgang Vallazza-Margl
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Project: Developing a New Method of Determining the Absorption Coefficient of Aerosols
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships
Summer Undergraduate Researcher Fellowships (SURF) are a competitively-awarded fellowship open to students who have at least one semester
remaining after the summer.
- 2024 - Walker Schumann
Advisor: Robert Nemiroff
Project: An Investigation into Why Your Shadow Can Move Faster-than-light During Sunrise
but Not Sunset
- 2024 - Austin West
Advisor: Jae Yong Suh
Project: Fabrication of Distributed Feedback Laser using Laser Interference Lithography
based on Superfluorescent Quasi-two-dimensional Perovskite
- 2023 - Logan Anderson
Advisor: Robert Nemiroff
Project: Python Modeling Relativistic Image Doubling
2022
Jonathan Willis
Advisor: Elena Giusarma
Project: Using Advanced Computing Techniques to Simulate the Universe with Neutrinos
2020
Reed Downs
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Project: Extinction of Light by Water Droplets in a Turbulent Cloud
Noah Wilson
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: Non-invasive Breath Analysis for Testing Blood Glucose Levels in Diabetics
2019
Casey Aldrich
Advisor: Robert Nemiroff
Project: Cataloging NASA's Fermi Satellite's Super-GeV Photons
Renato Pinto Reveggino
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Project: Measuring the Optical Properties of Mineral, and Carbonaceous Aerosols at
459 nm for Atmospheric Research
2018
Connor Hawry
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Project: Synthesis of Small Diameter BNNTs for Biomedical Application
Zackerie Hjorth
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Project: Boron Nitride Nanosheet Synthesis and Use for Increasing Electron Mobility
of Graphene and TMDCs on SiO2 Substrates
2017
Illiya Chibirev
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Temperature Measurements of Atmospheric
Gases Using Noninvasive Raman Spectroscopy
Owen Cruishank
Advisor: Raymond Shaw
Project: Investigating the Nucleation of Supercooled Water by Droplet Vibration and
Contact Line Movement
2016
Kaelan Anderson
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Project: Studying the Properties of Free Tropospheric Aerosols in the Mid Alantic
Kelci Mohrman
Advisor: Petra Huentemeyer
Project: Analysis of Highest Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from the Geminga Pulsar Wind
Nebula
2015
Kevin Rocheleau
Advisor: Christopher Middlebrook
Project: Determination of the Electro-Optic Effect in PDMS-TiO2 Hybrid Nan-composites
Colin Sheidler
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Project: Growth of Molybdenum Disulfide Monolayer Films by Chemical Vapor Deposition
2014
Robert Innis
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Project: CVD Growth of Molybdenum DiSulfide
Adam Laxo
Advisor: Raymond Shaw
Project: An Investigation of Aerosols as Catalysts for Contact Nucleation
2013
Joseph Charnawskas
Advisor: Raymond Shaw
Project:The Effects of the Gravitational Force of Water Particles in a Turbulent Flow
Mick Small
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Project: Photovoltaic Responses of Quantum Dot Sensitized ZnO Nanowires
Angela Small
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Project: Analysis of Artificial Breath Samples Using Raman Spectroscopy for Medical
Diagnosis
Kevin Rocheleau
Advisor: Petra Huentemeyer
Project: Analysis and Modeling of Diffuse Gamma-ray Emission from the Cygnus Region
using FERMI and HAWC Data
2012
Emily Makoutz
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Project:Quantum Dot Sensitized Photovoltaic Devices with Novel Core-Shell Nanowires
Stephen Stassen
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Project: Research on Atmospheric North American Aerosols: Using An Integrated Photoacoustic/Nephelometer
Spectrometer and the Pico Mountain