2017 Departmental Award Winners
Each year the WKU Department of Physics and Astronomy recognizes students who have excelled in areas of scholarship, research, and service. The recipients of these awards for the 2016-17 academic year are Andrew McGuffey, Stefan Stryker, Seth Harper, and Treason Carter. These students will be recognized at the annual Ogden Student Awards ceremony on Sunday, April 23, at 2:00 PM at the DSU Auditorium. Please join me in congratulating these students when you have an opportunity.
Dr. George V. and Sadie Skiles Page Award for Excellence in Scholarship*
Awarded to the graduating physics major with the highest academic standing.
Andrew Scott McGuffey
Andrew McGuffey, a senior physics major with a mathematics minor, receives the Page Award based upon his outstanding academic record. In addition, Andrew volunteers as an intern for the Bowling Green Medical Center Cancer Treatment Center, where he works on projects including a study of the optimization of planning treatment volume for patients with lung cancer. He received a fellowship in the summer of 2016 from the American Association of Physics in Medicine, which provided support for him to study at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Additionally, Andrew has been active as a physics tutor, then a Learning Assistant in the University Physics Laboratory, and as a student instructor in the Biophysics Laboratory. Andrew will continue his studies next year at Louisiana State University in the field of Medical Physics.
Stefan Matthias Stryker
Stefan Stryker, a senior Physics major with mathematics minor, receives the Page Award based upon his outstanding academic record as a WKU student. Stefan participates in research and clinical activities like volunteering as an intern at the Bowling Green Medical Center Cancer Treatment Center where he used 3D printing and CT scans to create prints of patient nose regions to build boluses on for radiation treatment. He has spent two summers as an intern at the University of Kentucky, first at the Health Science Research Lab and then at the Department of Radiation Medicine. In the summer of 2016 he received a fellowship from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, which provided support for study at the Yale School of Medicine. He has worked as a Physics Tutor and as a student instructor in the Biophysics Lab. Stefan will continue his studies next year as he pursues a graduate degree in Medical Physics.
Dr. Randall Harper Award for Outstanding Research in Physics and Astronomy*
Awarded to the junior or senior student with research exhibiting significance, effort, originality, and creativity.
Seth William Harper
Seth Harper, a senior with majors in physics and mathematics, works with Dr. Vladimir Dobrokhotov as an undergraduate research assistant at the WKU Applied Physics Institute. Seth received this award for his work on detecting Hydrogen Sulfide in natural gas, which is important in the area of clean energy provided by fuel cells. Seth worked to develop a safe chamber to mix known concentrations of Hydrogen Sulfide gas and developed a method for calibrating this system. He continues to work at the Applied Physics Institute on this and other projects and plans to pursue a graduate degree in Aerospace Engineering after graduating from WKU.
Dr. Douglas Humphrey Award for Outstanding Service *
Awarded to the junior or senior student with a record of service within the department and to science outreach to the community.
Trason Wayne Carter
Trason Carter, a senior with majors in Physics and Mechanical Engineering, receives the Doug Humphrey service award because of his longstanding good citizenship in supporting a range of faculty and student activities in the department. Trason presently serves a president of the WKU Chapter of the Society of Physics Student, where he has helped to build the membership and camaraderie of the organization by promoting and supporting physics among the student body. Trason is a regular and willing volunteer assisting the department outreach mission with events such as Physics Olympics and the Science Olympiad. He is presently using his unique background in both physics and mechanical engineering to assist Dr. Steven Gibson with a project to create a radio telescope using a large satellite dish.
* Awards made through the efforts of the College Heights Foundation.
