Frank C. McDonald Memorial Award
Frank C. McDonald memorial award based on merit in memory of Dr. Frank C. McDonald, chair of the Physics Department from 1941- 1962.
Prof. McDonald was remembered by his students for engaging them in the struggle to understand physics concepts and solve problems using those concepts. It wasn't about memorizing equations; it was about understanding what they meant in order to solve new problems or create new knowledge.
Award Winners
Year |
Name |
2019 |
Sean Doyle |
2018 |
Sean Doyle, Payton Price |
2017 |
Jasmine Liu |
2016 |
Ify Achu |
2015 |
Matthew Bruemmer |
2014 |
Daniel Gum |
2013 |
Joshua Abramovitch, Ben Wise |
2012 |
Matthew Rispoli, Dennis Stanley |
2011 |
Landon Banister |
2010 |
Don Davis, Kelly Pearson |
2009 |
Ken Ueda |
2008 |
Alex Weckiewicz |
2007 |
Charles Taylor |
2006 |
Zachary Parvin |
2005 |
Anna Stelzenmuller |
2004 |
Joe Mahoney |
2003 |
Graham Everitt |
2002 |
Eric Reiman |
2001 |
Alonso Gutierrez |
2000 |
Martina Kolmeder |
1999 |
April Kramer |
1998 |
Joe Parker Cravens |
1997 |
Melissa Smith |
1996 |
Jason Parker Cravesn |
1995 |
Jason Cain |
1994 |
Stephen Ornes |
1993 |
Kelly O'Neil |
1991 |
Christopher Myatt |
1990 |
Hugo Perrez |
1989 |
John Victor Ray |
1988 |
Gary J. Baker |
1986 |
Joe Pierce Holder |
1985 |
James Spicer |
1983 |
Anton Dreher |
1981 |
Keith Verges |
Robert Stewart Hyer Scholarship in Physics Award
Robert Stewart Hyer, Physicist and First President of SMU.
Awarded to a student who performs at the highest academic level. In memory of Robert S. Hyer, physicist and first President of Southern Methodist University.
Robert Stewart Hyer was regarded in the physics community for his work with x-rays and wireless communication. He is the first American ever known to have transmitted a signal wirelessly over a distance of about 1 mile. He did this within a year of Heinrich Hertz's discovery of electromagnetic waves. Such experiments set the stage for the modern wireless communication revolution. President Hyer was one of the founders of SMU and his hand in the formation of our university can be seen across the campus, even today, as he set the standards still cherished by students at SMU: the school colors (Yale Blue and Harvard Crimson), the composition of the brick used in the campus architecture, and the design of Dallas Hall. Hyer served as a member of the faculty of SMU until he passed away in 1929.
Award Winners
Year |
Name |
2019 |
Rebecca Moore |
2018 |
Robert Schmidt |
2017 |
Joshua Bedsole, Andrew Posada |
2016 |
Nicole Hartman |
2015 |
Mayisha Nakib, Rafael Sierra |
2014 |
Benjamin Wise |
2013 |
Landon Banister |
2012 |
Santosh Adhikari |
2011 |
Matthew Rispoli |
2010 |
Mariam Ishaque |
2009 |
Amy Hand |
2008 |
Kelvin Varghese |
2007 |
Kristin Schild |
2006 |
Rozmin Daya |
2005 |
Zachary Parvin |
2004 |
Michael Shearn |
2003 |
Alonso Gutierrez |
2002 |
Shannon Thornton |
2001 |
Eric Reiman |
2000 |
Eric Morgan |
1999 |
Curry Taylor |
1998 |
Melissa Smith |
1997 |
Kevin Yarritu |
1996 |
Samuel Williams |
1995 |
Graham Moore |
1994 |
Carl Elliston |
1993 |
Carl Elliston |
1992 |
Jonothan Pryer |
1991 |
Temesgen Demissie |
1990 |
Mia Beth Kurth |
1989 |
Mia Beth Kurth |
1986 |
Joe Pierce Holder |
1985 |
James Spicer |
1981 |
Keith Verges |
Katherine Sams Wiley Physics Scholarship
Wiley Scholarship recipient Jasmine Liu (left) poses with Mrs. Wiley (right) in 2017.
Award based on merit to students at the sophomore level or above who are majoring in physics, with attention to women focused on science and engineering.
Award Winners
Year |
Name |
2019 |
Taylor Wallace, Xixi Zhou |
2018 |
Rebecca Moore, Taylor Wallace |
2017 |
Jasmine Kim, Jasmine Liu, Christina McConville |
2016 |
Jasmine Kim, Jasmine Liu |
2015 |
Ashleigh Miller |
2014 |
Nicole Hartman |
2013 |
Mayisha Zeb Nakib |
2012 |
Holly Howard |
Jeff Chalk Physics Award
Given in honor of former SMU physics professor Dr. Jeff Chalk to a student who embodies Dr. Chalk’s passion for promoting the learning of physics.
Professor Jeff Chalk earned his PhD in Physics from University of Colorado in Boulder and served as a member of the SMU Physics Faculty for over 30 years. During that time, he had a tremendous influence on the teaching of physics and on the lives of students who took his classes. He was especially famous for dramatic demonstrations of core physics ideas. "He drinks liquid nitrogen!" exclaimed one student in a teaching evaluation. Jeff had a passion for physics that informed his teaching and inspired learning in his students.
Award Winners
Year |
Name |
2019 |
Taylor Wallace |
2018 |
Rebecca Moore |
2016 |
Jasmine Kim |
2016 |
Ashleigh Miller |
2015 |
Nicole Hartman |
2014 |
Mayisha Zeb Nakib |
2013 |
Matthew Rispoli |
2012 |
Joshua Abramavitch |
Physics Undergraduate Scholarship
2019 |
Chris Newey, Xixi Zhou |
2018 |
Jared Burleson, Chris Newey |