Student Awards and Prizes

Ron Ruby Scholarship

The Ron Ruby Scholarship is intended to reward the most promising young undergraduate physicists while also honoring Ron’s vision of providing greater access to quality college education. The award will be based primarily on academic merit, which can include grades and research experience. Additional factors may be considered, such as financial need or service dedicated toward helping educationally disadvantaged students. The scholarship is awarded annually.

Recent past receipients:

2024 - Evan Carrasco, Natalie Hultgren

2023 -  River Stern

2021 - Zach Dethloff, Xander Vriesman, Siuling Pau Sanchez, Sam English, Max Silverstein, Luis Bautista, Lian Santos-Olmsted, Jianhong Zou, Len Morelos-Zaragoza, Eva Schmidt, Bryn Lonsbrough, Alberto Baez

2020 - Emily Hoang, William Ryan

Darrell and Elaine Long Prize in Experimental Physics

This prize was established by Darrell D.E. Long and Elaine N. Long, and is awarded each year to the best Ph.D. thesis in experimental physics. 

Recent past receipients:

2024 - Nathan Kang: Search for Supersymmetry with Compressed Mass Spectra Using a Vector Boson Fusion Topology with the ATLAS Detector

2023 - Patrick LaBarre: Experimental Manifestations of Topology and the Development of a Non-Local Conductivity Apparatus

Marilyn Stevens Memorial Scholarship

The Marilyn Stevens Memorial Scholarship is an award designed to honor the former Department Manager of Physics, Marilyn Stevens. It is given to a current upper-division physics undergraduate student and a current physics graduate student. The award considers academic excellence, community service, service in and out of UCSC, and any outstanding contribution made to the Physics Department.

Recent past receipients:

2024 - Ollie Jackson, Fenix Lopez, Pierce Giffin, Sri Aditya Gadam

2023 - Grey Thoron, Samantha Contreras, Ollie Jackson

2021 - Verenise Martinez, Gabriela Huckabee

2020 - Nicole Man, Monica Leys, Sandra Nair