Graduating seniors and scholarship recipients in Physics recognized at scholarship luncheon

Graduating seniors Eli Deegan, Kade Stahl, Zach Eisenhutt, Jeremy Kamman, Josh Barron, Corbin Allison, Orin Blecha, and Anthony Nistico

Students, faculty, and staff came together as the Physics department in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University hosted its annual scholarship luncheon, recognizing students in the department with $35,000 in scholarships and celebrating the upcoming graduation of its seniors who have completed their degrees.

Below is the list of scholarship recipients.

Wyatt Jones, junior, Manhattan received the Basil & Mary Curnutte Scholarship.

Matthew Culbertson, senior, Manhattan, and Haeden Otting, junior, Kansas City, received the Dragsdorf Physics Scholarship.

Koby Harding, senior, Hutchinson and Xela Pattabiraman, sophomore, Stillwell, received the James R. Macdonald Memorial Scholarship.

Jeanie McClelland, junior, Manhattan, and Caitlin Solis, senior, Abilene, received the John P. Giese Memorial Scholarship.

Jeanie McClelland, junior, Manhattan, and Dawn Huddleston, sophomore, Hutchinson, received the Kathryn and Charles Bearman Scholarship.

Noah McPherson, junior, Omaha, Nebraska, and Ireland Pohorecki, senior, Ridgway, Colorado received the Leo E. Hudiburg Scholarship.

Naomi Downes, senior, Zumbrota, Minnesota, and Rachel Meeker, senior, Wichita, received the Terry Suzanne “Speed” and James King Foster Scholarship in Physics.

Rachel Meeker, senior, Wichita, received the Ronald Dee Parks Memorial Scholarship.

Zachary Eisenhutt, graduating senior in Physics and Math, Manhattan, Kansas, was awarded the K-State Graduate School’s Timothy R. Donoghue Scholarship for his PhD studies this fall here at K-State. This scholarship provides outstanding incoming graduate students with a premium assistantship and is renewable for a second year.

Head Tim Bolton with Dr. Shuo Zeng scholarship recipient Muhammadi Sakhi and Brett Esry, Shuo Zeng's advisor

Muhammad Sakhi, Manhattan, was the first recipient of the Dr. Shuo Zeng Scholarship. The scholarship was established for an international graduate student pursuing a degree in the field of physics or data science.

This scholarship honors the memory of Dr. Shuo Zeng (PhD in Physics ‘15), who tragically lost his life to violent crime in the Bay Area in 2019. In addition to a high degree of academic achievement, the recipient demonstrates the humanity in service to others that Dr. Zeng did throughout his life. The endowed fund was established by Michelle Munson (BS in Physics & Electrical Engineering ‘96) and her husband Serban Simu along with Dr. Zeng’s parents, Xingmin Zeng and Yali Hu.

The department also recognized its outstanding graduating seniors for 2023-24 including: Corbin Allison, Joshua Barron, Orin Blecha, Eli Deegan, Zachary Eisenhutt, Jeremy Kamman, Anthony Nistico, Kade Stahl, Iori Sugita, and Weston Schwartz.