2015 Sigma Pi Sigma Inductees
The Department of Physics honored 10 outstanding physics students by inducting them into the physics honors society Sigma Pi Sigma.
2015 inductees are:
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Meet Kanwal Singh (B.S. '86, Physics)
Kanwal Singh holds a bachelor of science degree in physics, summa cum laude, from the University of Maryland. Her favorite memories of her time here are about the people she met.
"Particularly in Physics," said Singh. "My closest friends–both undergrads and a couple grad students–came from that community."
Singh went on to obtain her master's and doctoral degrees in theoretical physics from the University of California at Berkeley. She is currently Professor and Associate Dean at Sarah Lawrence College (SLC), where her research interests are in low-temperature physics,
science education and education policy, and scientific and quantitative literacy. She has held fellowships from the Department of Defense, the American-Scandinavian Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
As a respected scholar, teacher and accomplished administrator, her advice to students is simple: do it if you love it!
"When I became a physics major, and then decided to go on to graduate school, I did it because physics and the associated mathematics were just beautiful to me," she says. "The symmetry and logic were so appealing that it didn’t seem like work; it was just fun."
Earlier this year, SLC announced that Singh will take over as Dean on August 1. Read the official SLC announcement at: https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/news-events/news/2015-04-15-dr.-kanwal-singh-named-dean-of-the-college-itn.html
Meet Delilah Gates
Delilah Gates is an outstanding 2015 graduate majoring in physics and mathematics. Delilah has made numerous contributions to the physics department, serving as SPS president and conducting research on supersymmetry. For her research, she received an award at the 2015 Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics and gave an engaging research talk at the department Undergraduate Research Showcase in April.
We had Delilah answer some questions about her experience as an undergraduate physics major at UMD.
Scholarships & Awards
Fall Awards
Richard and Anna Iskraut Scholarship
Established on September 21, 1973 by bequest from Mrs. Anna Iskraut, mother of Richard Iskraut, former Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland, this award is given to the first-year graduate student with the highest score on the Classical portion of the Qualifying Examination. More information...
Kapo-Barwick Endowment in Physics
Established on September 28, 1998, this award is given to the student with the highest GPA in the first two years of graduate study. The student must have received grades in at least seven regular Physics graduate courses, excluding research courses, seminars, and individual studies courses. The recipient of this award will have passed the Qualifying Examination within the first two years of graduate study. More information...
Charles T. Husar Fellowship in Physics
Faculty nominate your student here.
These fellowships provide academic fellowships and summer research and travel awards for Physics students. Charles "Charlie" Husar graduated from the University of Maryland with his bachelor's degree in physics in 1971. Now is the perfect time for him to give something back -- to the university and to students who follow an academic path similar to his own. This award will be given to graduate students who exemplify both research excellence and service to the department and their fellow students. More information...
Ralph Myers & Friends of Physics Award
Established in 1986 by alumni and friends of the Department of Physics in honor of former Chair and Professor Ralph D. Myers, this award is given annually to support outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistants in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland. Course instructors may nominate TAs each semester. More information...
Spring Awards
This is a particularly important time to recognize the accomplishments of our physics community. Please consider submitting a nomination for one or more of the awards below.
Charles T. Husar Fellowship in Physics
Faculty nominate your student here.
These fellowships provide academic fellowships and summer research and travel awards for Physics students. Charles "Charlie" Husar graduated from the University of Maryland with his bachelor's degree in physics in 1971. Now is the perfect time for him to give something back -- to the university and to students who follow an academic path similar to his own. This award will be given to graduate students who exemplify both research excellence and service to the department and their fellow students. More information...
Joseph and Dorothy Sucher Graduate Prize in Physics
Faculty nominate your student here.
This prize will be awarded annually to a first- or second-year Physics graduate student studying relativistic theoretical physics. Established in 2018 by Professor Emeritus Joe Sucher, a particle theorist in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland for 41 years. His wife Dorothy was a psychotherapist, writer and journalist before she passed away in 2010. They were married for 58 years.
Leon A. Herreid Science Fellowship
Faculty nominate your student here.
Established in May 1995 by Paul Herreid in memory of his son, Leon A. Herreid, and to honor Leon’s long and positive association with Goddard Space Flight Center, this award is given based on academic merit, with preference given to candidates who are affiliated with the Goddard Space Flight Center. Candidates are be enrolled in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park in a program leading to a Ph.D. degree and will have passed the Qualifying Examination. More information...
Dr. Ruth Davis Fellowship Fund for Mathematics and Physics
Faculty nominate your student here.
Dr. Ruth Davis was an alumna of the University of Maryland, receiving her Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1952. She was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in Mathematics from UMD. This award was established in December 2000 by The Aerospace Corporation in honor of Dr. Davis’ service as Chair of their Board of Trustees. This award is given to an outstanding female math or physics graduate student and alternates yearly with the Department of Mathematics. More information...
Thomas Mason Interdisciplinary Physics Fund
Faculty nominate your student here.
Established in December 2000 by Thomas Mason to help expose talented doctoral students in the Department of Physics to problems and approaches in non-physics disciplines through summer interaction with professors in other departments, this award is given to a talented UMD Physics doctoral student with an interdisciplinary summer research plan.
In order to be nominated for this award, doctoral students must formulate a plan with their advisor and a collaborative scientist in another department. Questions about the proposals should be directed to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, Tom Cohen. More information...
Monroe H. Martin Graduate Research Fellowship
Faculty nominate your student here.
Established in November 2007, this award is given to a Physics Ph.D. candidate in his or her last year of completing the dissertation whose research interests span both mathematics and physics. This award alternates yearly with the Department of Mathematics. More information...
Ralph Myers & Friends of Physics Award
Established in 1986 by alumni and friends of the Department of Physics in honor of former Chair and Professor Ralph D. Myers, this award is given annually to support outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistants in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland. Course instructors may nominate TAs each semester. More information...
Graduate Advising Award
Graduate students, nominate your advisor here!
A crucial factor in the success of every graduate student is their relationship to their advisor. The UMD Physics Graduate Advising Award, established in 2015 by the Graduate Student Committee, recognizes outstanding mentors of physics graduate students. The Graduate Student Committee developed an advising guide based on the input received from nominations for the 2015 award.
George A. Snow Memorial Award
Nominate a student, faculty, or staff member here.
Throughout his tenure at the University of Maryland, Dr. George A. Snow remained committed to advancing and expanding the participation of women in the sciences. Dr. Snow and his wife, Lila, taught the first Women’s Studies course at the University in the Spring semester of 1972. In order to honor Dr. Snow’s commitment to assisting women in the sciences, his wife and children established the award in February 2001 to help advance women in physics. This award is given to a student, staff, or faculty member in the Department of Physics who has personally helped to advance the representation of women in the field of physics.
Dr. George A. Snow was a professor of Physics at the University of Maryland from 1957 to 1992. From 1970 through 1971 he served as acting chair of the Department of Physics. In addition to his work at the University, Dr. Snow’s research contributions in experimental and phenomenological high-energy physics had considerable impact on the field. In 1958, he established the High Energy Physics Group at Maryland and led this group until his retirement from the University in 1992. More information...