Scholarships and Awards

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

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

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

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

Physics Undergraduate Scholarship