Each year, the Department of Physics honors outstanding students, staff, and faculty at the Spring Recognition Ceremony in recognition of their exceptional research, teaching, or service to the department. Learn more about this year鈥檚 recipients below.听
Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award
Shivank Chadda received this award for his honors research project titled 鈥淢odulation of Interstellar Dust within the Heliosphere by Solar Rotation.鈥� His research focused on the dynamics of interstellar dust, particularly how the magnetic field lines of the sun influence these charged dust particles that travel across our solar system. Chadda鈥檚 research advisor is David Malaspina, assistant professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences.听
Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award
Katie Wootten received this award for her honors research project titled 鈥淥rbital Angular Momentum in a Temperature and Force Fiber Sensor.鈥� Her work on a fiber-based sensor for both strain and temperature led her to discover that different polarizations allow for directionally resolved strain and temperature sensing. Wootten鈥檚 research advisor is Juliet Gopinath, professor of electrical engineering and physics.听听
Outstanding Graduate in Physics
Alexander Fix received this award in recognition of his outstanding research project and academic achievement. Fix earned summa cum laude for his honors research project titled 鈥淢easuring the Hall Effect in Dopings of Mn3Si2Te6.鈥� His research advisor is Gang Cao, professor of physics.听
Outstanding Graduate in Physics
Andy Hicks听received this award in recognition of his outstanding research project and academic achievement. He earned summa cum laude for his honors research titled 鈥淓lectron Hydrodynamics with X-momentum conservation.鈥� Hicks鈥� research advisor is Andy Lucas, assistant professor of physics.听
Outstanding Graduate in Engineering Physics
Noah Welikson received this award听in recognition of his exceptional research project and academic achievement. Welikson earned summa cum laude for his honors research project titled 鈥淚maging Atoms in Regular Structures via High Harmonic Generation.鈥� His research advisor is Andreas Becker, professor of physics and JILA fellow.听
Student and Postdoc Teaching and Service Awards
Each semester, undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs are nominated for teaching and service awards by physics faculty and staff. These individuals have made exceptional contributions to our teaching and service missions.听
Outstanding Graduate for Service
Tyler McMaken was named Outstanding Graduate for Service in recognition of his efforts as a lead organizer of CU-Prime, a key member of the team awarded a Dean鈥檚 Innovation Grant to improve undergraduate research, and a lead organizer and founder of the Grand Canonical Ensemble.
Outstanding Physics Teacher Award
John Bohn, research professor and JILA fellow, was recognized for his outstanding teaching at the physics major level. In the last few years, Bohn has taught PHYS 3210 Classical Mechanics and Mathematical Methods 2, and PHYS 3310 Electricity and Magnetism 1.听
Outstanding Physics Teacher Award
Eric Cornell, professor adjoint and JILA fellow, received the award for his outstanding teaching efforts at the introductory level. Cornell taught PHYS 1125 General Physics 2 for Majors in Spring 2024 and has recently taught PHYS 1140 Experimental Physics 1.
Department of Physics Employee of the Year
Building Operations Manager Alex Ennor, was named the 2024 Department of Physics Employee of the Year.听
As the Building Operations Manager, Alex is responsible for new and ongoing maintenance issues and projects in Duane, which includes student-facing classrooms and learning labs, as well as faculty and staff workspaces, meeting rooms, and highly sophisticated research laboratories. He has tackled each new issue or project head on, projecting a communicative, professional demeanor.听
鈥淎lex is highly appreciated by everyone he interacts with,鈥� Department Chair Tobin Munsat said. 鈥淗e is not only excellent at the technical parts of his job, but he goes above and beyond to listen to everyone鈥檚 needs, and he has earned the respect from everyone he works with, both inside and outside the department. We鈥檙e lucky to have him in Physics.鈥澨�
Alex joined the Department of Physics in 2022. Since then, he has spearheaded several vital capital improvement projects to make Duane鈥檚 student-facing spaces more welcoming and accessible. He has also tackled crucial projects to renovate lab and office spaces, creating a safe, welcoming, and professional environment for the department.听听