There are a variety of resources,
honors, and awards available to undergraduate majors within the Department of
Physics and Astronony through Department, University, and External sources.
A concise but by no means complete list, with related information, is given
below.
DEPARTMENTAL
Badgley Scholarship
Established by the estate
of Ralph E. and Esther Weik-Badgley, KU Classes of 1926 and 1925, respectively,
this scholarship provides up to $1000 per year for up to four years for a female
undergraduate majoring in Astronomy, Physics, or Engineering Physics. The awardee
is selected by a Departmental committee from applicants to the University who
have designated their major as Astronomy, Physics, or Engineering Physics. Selection
is based upon a combination of high school GPA and ACT or SAT scores.
Tombaugh
Scholarship in Astronomy
The Tombaugh Fund is set
up to support the needs of the undergraduate majors within the Astronomy program
and the occasional equipment needs of the Observatory. A prime focus of the
Fund is the support of undergraduate majors within Astronomy. This scholarship
provides up to $1000 per year for four years for an undergraduate majoring in
Astronomy. The awardee is selected by the Astronomy faculty from freshman applicants
to the University who have designated their major as Astronomy. Selection is
based upon a combination of high school GPA and ACT or SAT scores. If the scholarship isn't awarded to an incoming freshman, the funds are used to provide scholarships of up to $500 per year for astronomy majors classified as sophomores. Sophomore awardees are selected based upon their KU transcript as of the Fall semester of their sophomore year.
Francis
W. Prosser Scholarship
The award, established through the generosity
of Professor Emeritus, Frank Prosser, is given annually to a major in Physics
or Engineering Physics with at least 30 credit hours but no more than 59 completed
after the Spring term and an overall GPA of 3.5 or better. The award amounts
to between $500 and $1000 per semester for two semesters.
Hansel
Award in Engineering Physics
Established by the family of Paul G. Hansel, this scholarship
is given annually to a student in Engineering Physics to cover tuition
and fees. Preference is given to Kansas residents, with Nebraska residents
considered next. This scholarship is normally awarded to a sophomore.
(For more information, contact Dr. Phil Baringer at: baringer@ku.edu
or at 864-3953.)
Wyman Storer
Award
The award is given annually to the senior in the Department, expected
to graduate in May or the following December, who has provided service
to the Astronomy Program at KU in excess of what can be reasonably expected
of a good student.
Stranathan Award
The award, given annually, is made to
a physics major who meets all of the following requirements as of the nine-months
academic year ending on or about June 1:
(1) Has completed sufficient work to be classified officially as a senior;
(2) Has somewhat more than one semester's work remaining for the Bachelor's
degree;
(3) Has at least 30 semester-hours credit for work taken at KU;
(4) Has at least 10 hours credit in physics courses open only to juniors and
seniors at KU;
(5) Highest overall GPA, all courses included and reckoned by the method prescibed
by the University.
The annual stipend can be up to $1000 per semester for two semesters starting
in or about Sept. 1, the final amount dependent upon the number of awardees.
Tombaugh Summer Internship
The Tombaugh Fund is set up to support the needs of the undergraduate majors within the Astronomy program
and occasional equipment needs of the Observatory. A prime focus of the Fund
is the support of undergraduates involved in research over the summer months;
Tombaugh Summer Interns receive $1000 to $1500 for living expenses to remain
in Lawrence and work with a faculty member on an astrophysically-related project.
Outstanding Senior in Physics and Astronomy
The award is given annually to a senior
graduating in the current academic year with a major in any of the Department's
programs with the highest GPA for credits earned at the University of Kansas,
provided the awardee has earned credit for or is currently enrolled in a minimum
of 32 hours of physics and/or astronomy courses. The awardee's name is added
to the hallway plaque.
Graduation with Honors
A student who plans to graduate with Honors must file a Declaration of Intent Form with the Departmental Honors Coordinator, preferably during his/her junior year but, in any case, no later than the enrollment period for the final undergraduate semester prior to graduation. All of our Department Honors' requirements include student research for which results shall be presented in written form and accepted by three members of the Department faculty. Certification forms with the specific requirements for PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY, and ENGINEERING PHYSICS can be downloaded using the links below:
PHYSICS ASTRONOMY ENGINEERING PHYSICS
UNIVERSITY
A full list
of scholarship opportunities available to incoming freshman is provided at the
web site of the KU Office of Admissions
and Scholarships.Some
specific examples of financial and academic resources of direct relevance to
majors in the Department of Physics and Astronomy is given below.
KU Undergraduate Honors Program
The Honors Program provides enriched educational
opportunities to the most academically talented, promising, and motivated undergraduate
students at KU. It does this through honors courses, programs, and tutorials
with top faculty members.It also provides services such as honors orientation,
personalized academic advising, and help adjusting to college life, navigating
the university, facilitating research, and identifying resource opportunities.
Majors within the Department who qualify
for the program are strongly encouraged to apply for admission to the Honors Program.
Undergraduate
Research Awards
Undergraduate Research Awards (UGRAs)
provide support for original, independent research by Lawrence-campus undergraduates,
under the general guidance of a member of the graduate faculty. They are not
intended to provide faculty members with assistants, but students may well be
associated with faculty research projects as independent investigators. UGRAs
are awarded on the merit of the applicant's proposal, the applicant's academic
record, and recommendations from faculty members who are familiar with the applicant
and the proposed project. For the purpose of this competition, 'research' should
not be construed too narrowly. UGRAs are for the support of independent projects
that constitute work that is original and substantive given the standards and
objectives of the field. For the Spring Semester, up to 10 awards of $500 each are provided. For the Summer
session, awards increase to $1200. Majors are encouraged to discuss possible
projects with the appropriate faculty.
Chancellors Club Scholars
Sixteen University of Kansas freshmen
are selected annually as Chancellors Club Scholars. The Chancellors Club, the
major-donor organization at the Kansas University Endowment Association, finances
the renewable scholarships, which recognize National Merit finalists who have
outstanding high school records.
College
Scholarships
A number of merit-based scholarships are
available for worthy and deserving students studying in the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences. Known collectively as the College Scholarships, they include
the Virginia & Edwin Andrews, the Verne 1. Wagner Bratton, the Martha Cook Clarke,
the Mary Lou Miller Graves, the Wheeler Russell Gregory, the John & Marion E.
Kreamer, the Neta Reinhardt, the C.E. Spahr, the English Faculty Memorial Scholarship,
the Adolf Spangler Scholarship, the Lear, and the Lawson. Also available is
the Frederick and Myrtle Lasly Epps Scholarship, for which preference is given
to students with majors in both the College and in Engineering. The stipend
associated with these awards is normally around $1,000.00. Last year a total
of 69 scholarships were awarded.
Noyce
Scholars Program
The Noyce Scholars Program of the KU School
of Education (SOE), with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF),
addresses the extensive needs for high quality mathematics and science teachers
in the State of Kansas and nation. Specifically during 2003 – 2007, the
Noyce Scholars Program will provide support for 24 undergraduates in mathematics
and science who have been admitted into the KU teacher education program as
juniors and 12 graduate students. Undergraduate Noyce Scholars are required
to complete dual Bachelor’s degrees -- a Bachelor’s degree in either
mathematics or a field of science and a Bachelor of Science in Education. Graduate
Noyce Scholars must have a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics or science
and must complete the Graduate Certification Program. Each undergraduate student
will receive a scholarship of $7,500 per year for each of two years, assuming
satisfactory academic progress. Graduate students will receive one-year awards
of $7,500. Following completion of the licensure program, Noyce Scholars must
teach mathematics and/or science for two years in a high-needs school for each
year of scholarship support received.
Summerfield
Scholars/Watkins-Berger Scholars
The prestigious Summerfield and Watkins-Berger scholarships recognize
outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership and service from
100 graduating Kansas high school students. Students are eligible for consideration
if they have a 3.5 cumulative high school grade-point average and a score of
31 or higher on the American College Test, or ACT. The scholarships provide
$2,500 per year for four years.
Summerfield scholarships for men are funded
through an endowment established by the late Solon E. Summerfield, who was a
Lawrence native and KU graduate. Watkins-Berger scholarships for women are financed
by the estate of the late Elizabeth M. Watkins of Lawrence and an endowment
in memory of Emily Berger, a KU graduate, by her brother, the late Arthur Berger
of Dallas. The KU Endowment Association manages the funds for both scholarships.
University
Scholars
The University Scholars Program, now in
its twenty-second year, is designed to recognize and encourage the University's
most academically talented students early in their undergraduate careers and
provide them with a unique opportunity to develop their intellectual capabilities
to the fullest.There are several components of the Program. University Scholars
participate in a specially designed course to be taught in the spring. Second,
each University Scholar is assigned a mentor who is a distinguished faculty
member at the University. This mentor relationship is designed to continue throughout
the student's undergraduate career. Although the exact nature of the relationship
is left to each Scholar and mentor, its purpose is to foster intellectual growth.
Finally, all University Scholars receive a stipend of $250 per semester providing
their grade point averages are maintained at an appropriate level.
EXTERNAL
RESOURCES
National Merit
Scholarships
The National Merit scholarship is widely
regarded as the most prestigious national award bestowed upon high school seniors.
Fewer than 10,000 students of the 1.2 million who compete for the award, or fewer
than 1 percent, receive National Merit scholarships. Recipients are chosen based
on their academic abilities and records and extracurricular activities.
Barry M. Goldwater
Scholarships
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships for
students pursuing careers in the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering
are awarded annually on the basis of a national competition. They provide $7500
per year for 1 to 2 years to undergraduates entering their junior or senior year.
AWIS
(Association for Women in Science) Educational Foundation Programs
Each spring, the AWIS Educational
Foundation offers graduate awards and college scholarships for high school seniors
in the amount of $1,000. A new program, the Kirsten R. Lorentzen Award, is for
college sophomores or juniors studying physics or geoscience.
APS
Minority Scholarship
Through the generosity of corporate and
individual donors, the APS is able to offer the APS Scholarship for Minority
Undergraduate Physics Majors (formerly known as the Corporate-Sponsored Scholarship
for Minority Undergraduate Students Who Major in Physics). Each year, COM acts
as the selection committee for this scholarship which attracts many applicants.
Many of the applicants are absolutely stellar and the program is usually able
to fund 20-25 new recipients each year. The program, which began in 1980, has
graduated students who have received their Ph.D.s in physics and are now working
as physics faculty members in universities, as well as research scientists at
corporations and national labs. Some past scholars have also become high school
physics teachers.The award consists of $2000 per year for new corporate scholars,
and $3000 per year for renewal students to be used for tuition, room & board,
educational materials. In addition, each physics department that hosts one or
more APS minority undergraduate scholars and assigns a mentor for their student/s
will receive a $500 award for programs to encourage minority students.
APS
(AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY) GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
The American Physical
Society provides an extensive list of sources of financial aid that emphasizes
careers in the physical sciences.
