Alumni

Degrees:

• Physics Dual Degree
• B.S. Physics - UW-River Falls
• B.S. Civil Engineering - University of Minnesota

Employment: Senior Project Manager at Mortenson Construction

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: I always knew I wanted to major in engineering. Mathematics and science have always greatly interested me. I was glad that I could get a dual degree and not have to pick between physics or engineering.

On being a woman of color in a STEM field: I don’t see many people that look like me, which leads to having to break through initial barriers and biases. Every time I come into a new job, I don’t always get the same amount of trust as my white male colleagues. I often have to prove myself, which can be frustrating since I have been in this field for so long. In addition, it goes unsaid that I not only have to exceed expectations in order to succeed the way my colleagues do, but I represent other Black women who may choose this line of work. If I fail, other Black women will be viewed as incapable of doing the job.

What is one of your favorite memories from your time at UW-River Falls? Any time I got to spend with my roommates, which are still some of my good friends to this day. Also, any class that I got to take with Professor Blodgett Ph.D. I took every class he offered because I enjoyed his teaching that much. I also played basketball while at the university and enjoyed the time I spent on the court with my teammates.

Degrees:

• B.S. Physics - UW-River Falls
• M.S. and Ph.D. Materials Science - Colorado School of Mines

Employment: Postdoc at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: One of the most critical and influential aspects of my experience at UWRF was the ever present sense of community. The physics faculty and students, in particular, created an inviting and inspiring environment in which I could grow to see and pursue opportunities I had not previously envisioned. With mentoring from my advisors, I participated in two summer research programs as an undergraduate and went on to graduate school! I've continued to combine my broad perspectives from physics and chemistry to explore the world of materials and am very pleased with the path I've taken.

Degrees:

• B.S. Physics - UW-River Falls
• M.S. Management of Technology - University of Minnesota

Employment: Technology Products Manager at Polar Semiconductor

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: My physics degree from River Falls helped me to establish a strong foundation of skills and techniques that I still use today to solve broad and complex problems.

Degrees:

• B.S. Physics - UW-River Falls
• Ph.D. Program - Rice University

Employment: Research and teaching assistant working toward a Ph.D. in Physics at Rice University

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: UWRF's small class sizes and student-oriented professors really helped me flourish during my undergraduate career not only as a physicist but also as a person. The department offered the same courses as a bigger university and was able to make sure that I was well-prepared for graduate school, but without the drawbacks of a large school. The department was willing to tailor to each individual's interests and because the department was still small, I was able to explore areas I may not have considered before, such as competing in the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium's Collegiate Rocket Competition,  judging at Science Olympiad regional tournaments, or attending the Society of Physics Students (SPS) Congress in Florida. Finally, the active SPS chapter and Sigma Pi Sigma really helped keep me enthusiastic about physics and allowed me to stay up-to-date and active in the community with science events.

Degrees:

• Dual Degree Student - B.S. Physics - UW-River Falls
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering - University of Minnesota
• M.S. Business Administration - Arizona State University

Employment: Commissioning Engineer for Burns and McDonnell

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: Having always wanted to be an engineer the UWRF (physics) dual degree program was the best of both worlds. It provided small, personalized class sizes along with an opportunity to pursue multiple degrees which has given me a very broad perspective when solving problems. UWRF is well known in the industry and I get phone calls on a monthly basis from recruiters interested in my background and education. I highly recommend UWRF for anyone interested in physics or engineering.

Degrees:

• B.A. Physics and Mathematics - UW-River Falls
• M.S. Physics - Colorado School of Mines
• Ph.D. Physics - University of Wales College of Cardiff, Wales, UK

Employment: Principal Scientist for the Thin-Film Materials Group

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: Working with lots of projects, scientists, and graduate students during that past 30 years as a researcher, I am often surprised by the frequency that I still rely on the knowledge and experiences I gained at UWRF.

Degrees:

• B.S. Physics and Mathematics - UW-River Falls
• Physics Ph.D. program - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Employment: Research assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a Physics Ph.D. program

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: My experience in the UWRF Physics Department was crucial to my post graduation success. The quality of the undergrad research which I participated in through the department lead to a research position in graduate school. Additionally, the department's rigorous courses and focus on laboratory work, both hands on and computational, allowed me to easily transition to graduate level courses while simultaneously performing research to publish my first paper. My education at River Falls continues to be the strong base upon which I advance my career.

Degrees:

• B.S. Physics - UW-River Falls
• M.S. Medical Physics - University of Cincinnati
• Certified by American Board of Radiology in Radiologic Therapy Physics

Employment: Medical Physicist for HealthEast

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: The UW-River Falls physics program provided an excellent framework for my success in graduate school and subsequent career in medical physics. The core physics curriculum is taught in an engaging manner, by professors that genuinely care about their students. The laboratory component of the UWRF program was also great preparation for my graduate and professional research endeavors. With its excellent, well-rounded physics program, UW-River Falls helped me build the tools, experience, and confidence necessary to succeed in my career as a medical physicist.

Degrees:

• B.S. Physics - UW-River Falls
• M.S. Meteorology - University of Oklahoma
• Ph.D. Meteorology - University of Oklahoma

Employment: Associate Professor in the Department of Meteorology at Penn State University

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: I could not have asked for a better foundation than the one I obtained as a physics major at UW-River Falls. The rigor of the program was excellent preparation for the problem-solving needed in meteorology, and the skills acquired in courses like Math for Physics and Chemistry were fundamental to my success as a graduate student.  Advanced Lab taught me how to think critically and become a true scientist.  Most importantly, the dedication, caring, and encouragement of the UW-River Falls faculty throughout my entire time at UWRF helped me to succeed and to come out confident that I could pursue a Ph.D. in the physical sciences.

Degrees:

• B.S. Physics and Music - UW-River Falls
• M.S. Electrical Engineering - University of Rochester

Employment: Audio Test Engineer at Microsoft

UWRF's role in your career preparation/Advice to students: The staff at UWRF's Physics Department really are at the heart of what makes it a great place to learn and develop your individual interests on top of a good overall foundation. I was able to pursue my interest in acoustics while at UWRF due to their support on every level- from having the flexibility to tailor coursework options, to being given the support to work on research and projects I was interested in, and being able to present that work at a professional level- all as an undergraduate. These experiences laid the groundwork for being successful in graduate school and now working in the field.

The Physics Alumni Scholarship supports incoming new and transfer students, and continuing physics majors.

• Award is for the student's first year. Award amount and number of awards per year is variable.
• Contact Glenn Spiczak or Lowell McCann for more information.

This scholarship supports an entering junior student with a physics major.

• Student must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA.
• Student must have at least one year completed toward a physics major with plans to earn a physics major at UWRF.

**Selection of the recipient may be based on financial need, involvement, and service to the Physics Department, the university, and the community.

This scholarship supports a sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student pursuing a degree with major emphasis in physics who plans to continue at UWRF in the physics curriculum.

This scholarship supports an entering sophomore, junior or senior student with a physics major (or science major if no qualified physics student) with a minimum 2.0 GPA.

• The student must plan to continue at UWRF and be in good academic standing.
• Additionally, the student must be active in extracurricular activities, including church, community and/or university-based activities.

This scholarship supports a physics major who is at least an upcoming junior.

• Student must be enrolled full time (minimum 12 credits per semester) and have demonstrated financial need.

**The scholarship is renewable until graduation if the recipient maintains a physics major and a minimum (cumulative) 3.0 GPA.

This scholarship supports students intending to perform a semester abroad experience and will conduct research that incorporates science. Students must be enrolled in the UWRF Semester Abroad: Europe program, Wisconsin in Scotland, or another UWRF education abroad program such as approved independent study or Experience China programs, provided that they intend to carry out a semester-long, adviser-approved research project while abroad.

Students must submit a research project proposal that is signed by a faculty adviser. The proposal must include an indication of the research facility where the student will work abroad and the project in which they will participate.

Preferences:

• Students who intend to present the results of their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research or at a discipline specific conference. This should be specified in the research proposal. 
• Students majoring in Physics, Chemistry, or Biology, but any research proposal that incorporates science can be considered.

Award: $681.00