Undergraduate Awards
Current Undergraduate Awards
Spring 2023 David Bohm award: Kyle Linn
Kyle Linn is a Spring 2023 graduating senior in Physics with a minor in Math. He worked as a Learning Assistant for the Physics Department for 6 semesters, as well as a Guided Study Group Leader for Penn State Learning for 4 terms. He did research on quantum optics and photonics in the group of Prof. Mikael Rechtsmann contributing to a soon-to-be-published paper. Kyle will be continuing his graduate education here at Penn State. Congratulations to Kyle!
Spring 2023 Physics student marshall at Spring Commencement: Jackson MacTaggart
Jackson MacTaggart is a Spring 2023 graduating senior with majors in Astronomy/Astrophysics and Physics. He did research with Prof. Sarah Shandera of the Physics Department as well as Prof. Abe Falcone of the A&A program. In addition to his outstanding academic record and research achievements, he was an officer in the Penn State chapter of the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, Vice-President of the Astronomy Club, and a Learning Assistant for ASTRO 291. Following up on a Summer 2022 REU experience at NASA Goddard, Jackson will be continuing his education at the University of Michigan focusing on heliophysics.
Spring 2023 PHYS PSU Physics B.S. alumni winning NSF Graduate Research Fellowships:
Three PSU Physics alumni were awarded prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships for 2023. They include:
Nicole Firestone (PSU 2021) now at Rutgers University. During her time here at PSU, Nicole was in the Schreyer’s Honors College (doing her thesis research with Prof. Miguel Mostafa), shared the Brickwedde Prize for Undergraduate Research, and was active in many on-campus student organizations, including the Oriana Singers and Penn State Hillel. She was a double major with Physics and Astronomy/Astrophysics.
Michael Zaidel (PSU 2022) now at THE Ohio State University. A double major with Physics and Astronomy/Astrophysics, during his time on campus, Michael was a member of the Millennium Scholars Program, did research with Prof. Kohta Murase, and shared the Brickwedde Prize for Undergraduate Research. He had two off-campus REU experiences, one at Michigan State and one at Fermilab and was participated in the McNair Scholars program here at Penn State.
Frederick Hancock (PSU 2022) attending the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in Fall 2023. During his undergraduate career here at PSU, Freddie was in the Schreyer Honors College (doing research with Prof. Martin Bojowald for his SHC thesis), was a Learning Assistant (three times) for different classes, was build-master for the Society of Physics Students (even during the pandemic times of ‘remote everything’). After graduating in Spring 2022, he stayed on campus to continue research with Prof. Abe Falcone on instrumentation projects.
Spring 2023 Brickwedde Award for Undergraduate Research winners.
Sean Tobin who pursued research with Prof. Martin Bojowald, was president of the Society of Physics Students (2021-2022), and will be attending Florida Atlantic University in Fall 2023 to pursue graduate studies in quantum gravity.
Evan Jennerjahn worked with Prof. Abe Falcone, was treasurer of our SPS chapter (2022-2023) and helped organize the funding and travel for 20 students to the quadrennial PHYSCON meeting in Washington DC. He’ll be attending graduate school at THE Ohio State University in Fall 2023.
Kyle Linn, in addition to receiving the 2023 David Bohm Award for his many achievements, shared the Brickwedde Award for his research (leading to a preprint) with Prof. Mikael Rechtsmann, and will continue his Physics educational career here at Penn State in our graduate program.
2023 NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship: Sylvia Biscoveanu
Sylvia Biscoveanu (PSU, 2017) won almost every local and national award possible for a Physics major, including an Astronaut and Goldwater Fellowship, Soros Foundation and NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, and being a finalist for the Leroy Apker Award (as best undergraduate Physics major in the country), along with the Schreyer Honors College Reddy Mission award. After graduation, Sylvia spent a year at Monash University in Australia as part of a Fulbright Fellowship, after which she started her Ph. D. program at MIT doing research in gravitational wave physics. She recently (Spring 2023) defended her Ph. D. thesis (after having won many similar awards at MIT!) and was given a NASA Hubble Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue her research at Northwestern University.
