2022 Undergraduate Awards
A.C. Anderson Undergraduate Research Scholar
This award supports summer research positions. It’s named for Ansel Anderson (1933–2015), an alumnus (PhD, 1961), faculty member (1962–1992), and department head (1986–1992), who made seminal contributions to low-temperature condensed matter physics, particularly in characterizing the thermal properties of metals and glasses.
Jered Zhang
I am a senior in Professor Dale Van Harlingen’s research group, working under Sam Cross on the growth of a BKBO superconducting thin film. Enrolled in both engineering physics and materials science, I am also a James Scholar and recipient of the MatSE Allen Award and the Friedberg Scholarship.
Commonwealth Edison/Beryl Bristow Endowed Award
This award recognizes outstanding women physics majors. It was established by Commonwealth Edison in memory of alumna Beryl Love Bristow, the first woman to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in physics at Illinois.
Vedhasya Muvva
I am a sophomore in engineering physics, a Chancellor’s and a James scholar. After undergrad, I hope to use my mechanical engineering concentration to apply physics to the design process. This past year, I’ve been the treasurer of both Society of Physics Students and Society for Women in Physics, working on networking, education, and creating a safe space to meet like-minded students.
Ernest M. Lyman Prize
This award recognizes outstanding graduating senior physics majors. It’s named for Professor Ernest M. Lyman, who served on the Illinois Physics faculty for 36 years and made seminal contributions to experimental nuclear physics.
Shunyue Yuan
I have been working with Professor Lucas Wagner on measures of electronic correlation.
Mihir Katare
I am an engineering physics major with a minor in computer science. I recently worked with the Neubauer group on machine learning applications to the Matrix Element Method. I am excited to apply the problem-solving skills acquired through physics research in industry as a software engineer.
Jeremiah D. Sullivan Undergraduate Research Scholar
This award supports deserving undergraduates in their first research experience. It was established by family, friends, and colleagues of Jeremiah Sullivan (1938–2016), a professor of physics (1967–2006) and department head (2000–2006). Sullivan was a pioneer in theoretical high-energy physics. He was influential in arms control and international security.
Brian Petro
I am a junior undergraduate majoring in physics. This summer I will be working in Professor Paul Kwiat’s quantum information group optimizing an independent polarization switch. The switch is used in hyperentanglement setups to easily operate on-time qubits without affecting their polarization states.
John A. Gardner Undergraduate Summer Research Award
This award supports summer research positions for outstanding physics undergraduate students. The award is named for alumnus John Gardner (MS, 1963; PhD, 1966), who has made important contributions to materials physics.
Devont Felix
I am a sophomore studying physics on the computational physics track in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. I’m working with Professor Bryce Gadway in the atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics lab studying synthetic multidimensional lattice structures.
Yidi Liu
I am a physics major working with Professor Fahad Mahmood on single-molecule magnets and terahertz wire grid polarizers. I am looking forward to spending a productive summer in the lab.
Laura B. Eisenstein Award
This award recognizes outstanding women physics majors. Established by the department in cooperation with the American Physical Society and its Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, the award is named for Illinois Physics Professor Laura Eisenstein (1942–1985), a biological physicist who served the department with distinction (1969–1985).
Yichao Guan
I am a senior. I have been able to find opportunities that helped me gain knowledge and advance biophysics research at the University of Illinois. After graduation, I will work toward a doctoral degree in biophysics.
Yuting Maggie Liu
Over the past year, I studied mRNA degradation using computational models of diffusion under the supervision of Professor Sangjin Kim. I would also like to recognize the Yee Seung Ng scholarship and the Amateur Illustrator Club for their support.
Lewis C. Hack Scholarship
This award provides support toward fall tuition for an outstanding physics major. It was established by a gift from Lois E. Hack in memory of her husband, Lewis C. Hack. Both the Hacks devoted their lives to teaching math and science in the public schools.
Josiah Chong
I am working to become a high school physics teacher. In high school I was inspired by my science teachers because not only were they excellent teachers, but also great role models. I hope I can be a teacher who not only educates, but
inspires as well.
Lorella M. Jones Summer Research Award
This fellowship supports summer research positions for outstanding physics undergraduate students. It is named for Illinois Physics Professor Lorella Jones (1943–1995), a theoretical high-energy physicist who served the department with distinction (1968–1995). Jones was the first woman to attain tenure and full professorship in the department.
Yaashnaa Singhal
I will be working with Professor Jake Covey on building a single-neutral-atom optical-tweezer project.
Jing Zhou
I am currently a junior, pursuing a dual degree in physics and computer science. This summer I’m working with Professor Stuart Shapiro on astrophysics topics, doing simulation and data analysis.
Mok Wing Ho Scholarship
This scholarship is named in honor of Mrs. Mok Wing Ho, mother of alumnus Dr. Yee Seung Ng (BS ‘74). It recognizes superior academic achievement as well as commitment to the field through participation in physics-related extracurricular activities.
Elizabeth Zhang
I’m currently a sophomore majoring in engineering physics. I’ve served as the secretary and vice president of the Society for Women in Physics, as well as internal affairs and engagement officer and secretary of Society of Physics Students. Additionally, I’m a Chancellor’s and James Scholar. After graduating, I hope to work in the mechanical engineering industry.
Philip J. and Betty M. Anthony Undergraduate Research Scholar
This award, made possible by gifts from Illinois Physics alumnus Philip J. Anthony, supports summer undergraduate research.
Jessie Wei
My research with Professor Bryce Gadway is about synthetic dimension. I am currently a sophomore in engineering physics with an Engineering Premier Scholarship. I am a James Scholar. I am also the outreach chair of the Society for Women in Physics.
Shuen Wu
I am a sophomore majoring in physics, math, and electrical engineering. Working with Professor Paul Kwiat, I am building a free-space optical classical channel for use in air-to-air, drone-based quantum key distribution. I hope to contribute to the field of quantum computing as a graduate student.
Pedro Rodrigues De Almeida Prado
I am a sophomore majoring in engineering physics. I will be doing research this summer with Professor Elizabeth Goldschmidt in quantum optics and quantum information science.
Nathan Zachar
I am a junior in engineering physics doing research under Professor Jacob Covey. The research that I am involved in focuses on how to use the hyperfine states of ytterbium atoms as qubits in a quantum computer. This has been a great way for me to learn more quantum and atomic physics and explore its applications.
Jiahao Zhang
I am a freshman physics major working with Professor Russ Giannetta and Professor Eugene Colla on detecting nuclear quadrupole resonance. I am a student senator of Illinois Student Government and UC Senate. I am the treasurer of Cirkle K International and active member of the Society of Physics Students.
Ralph O. Simmons Undergraduate Research Scholarship
This scholarship supports summer research projects. Established by Ralph O. Simmons, Illinois Physics alumnus (PhD, 1957), faculty member (1959–), and department head (1970–1986), who has made seminal contributions to experimental condensed matter physics.
Aniketh Balagonda
I am a second-year James Scholar undergraduate research assistant working in Elizabeth Goldschmidt’s lab. This summer I will be performing saturated absorption spectroscopy in iodine to stabilize a titanium sapphire laser used for spectral-hole-burning experiments.
Jaydeep Pillai
I am a junior in engineering physics. I am working with Nadir Jeevanjee of NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, studying arctic amplification of climate change. I am a Chancellor’s Scholar, Provost Scholar, and a NOAA Hollings Scholar. I have served as president of the Society of Physics Students.
Jiarui Yu
I am a junior in engineering physics. I am working with Professor Bryce Gadway. We aim to finish building and tuning a group of over 20 synthetically coupled oscillators and to use them to simulate lattice models in solids. Besides research, I am also a James Scholar and Tau Beta Pi member.
Eric Yu
During the summer of 2022, I will be working with Professor Stuart Shapiro’s group. Among other projects, I will be working on the visualization of the merger of spinning black holes.
Sahaj Patel
This summer I’m working with Professor Fahad Mahmood to develop new demos for the Physics Van. As Physics Van coordinator, I am creating a new show that includes quantum physics concepts. I plan to graduate in Fall 2022 with an Engineering Physics major. Along with running Physics Van, I also serve as Physics Student Advisory Board president.
Richard K. Cook Scholarship
This scholarship recognizes an outstanding physics student at the end of the sophomore year. It is named for Richard Cook (1910–2016), an Illinois Physics alumnus (PhD, 1935) who spent his entire career at the National Bureau of Standards.
Nicolás Patiño
I am a junior majoring in physics and mathematics and a Chancellor’s Scholar. I am working on research under Professor Nicolás Yunes. I hope to earn a doctoral degree in physics and pursue a career in academia.
Robert A. Stein Award
This award was established in memory of alumnus Robert A. Stein (BS, 1955) by his family and friends to provide opportunities to physics students at UIUC who hail from the Chicago area.
Owen Stephenson
I am a sophomore studying engineering physics and philosophy, a James Scholar in The Grainger College of Engineering, and a member of Tau Beta Pi. I am enjoying my time here as an undergraduate research assistant in Professor Wolfgang Pfaff’s quantum circuitry lab. I am grateful to receive this award.
Kayleigh Excell
I’m a sophomore in engineering physics minoring in Latin and math, with the goal of a doctoral degree in astrophysics. On campus, I’m the secretary of the Society for Women in Physics. I’ve also been fortunate to be named a Commonwealth Edison/Beryl Bristow Award recipient, a Chancellor’s scholar, and a James Scholar.
Robert E. Hetrick Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award
This award recognizes outstanding independent research by an undergraduate physics major. It was established by W. Dale Compton (1929–2017), an Illinois Physics alumnus (PhD, 1955) and faculty member (1961-1970), in honor of his first U of I graduate student, Robert E. Hetrick (BS, 1963; MS, 1964; PhD, 1969).
Amanda Skittone
I am a graduating senior in engineering physics. I am being granted this award for my work on the Solar Array Research Group in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department with Professor Arijit Banerjee and research engineer Kevin Colravy. I was the coordinator of Physics Van and received the Undergraduate Outreach Achievement Award last year.
Undergraduate Outreach Achievement Award
This award recognizes outstanding undergraduates involved in the Society of Physics Students and/or the Physics Van.
Sahaj Patel
This summer I’m working with Professor Fahad Mahmood to develop new demos for Physics Van. As Physics Van coordinator, I am creating a new show that includes quantum physics concepts. I plan to graduate in Fall 2022 with an engineering physics major. Along with running Physics Van, I also serve as Physics Student Advisory Board president.
Yee Seung Ng Award
This award, established in memory of alumnus Yee Ng (BS, 1974) by his family and friends, recognizes an outstanding junior or senior international engineering physics student.
Cesar Diaz Blanco
I will enter my final year towards a degree in engineering physics with a concentration in computational physics. I am deeply thankful for this support as it will help me to stay on campus over the summer to do research on computational astrophysics with Professor Charles Gammie.
To learn more about our student awards or to support a student award fund, please visit the Honors and Awards pages at physics.illinois.edu.
Questions? Please contact our Director of Advancement Jana Zollinger at jmzollin@illinois.edu.