Undergraduate Programs

The Physics Department offers a modest reward to the top student in each section of the introductory courses every Fall and Spring semester. The award consists of a popular science book, and is presented late in the Spring semester. Courses in which this award is made are: 1000, 1010, 1020, 1040, 1060, 1070, 1130, 1150, 2050, 2070, and 3090. It is not necessary to be a physics major to be eligible for this award.

Declared physics majors in any program are eligible for certain scholarships and awards offered by the physics department, in addition to awards administered by the college and university. The principal ongoing awards are the Paul Rood Scholarship, named after Dr. Paul Rood, professor and chair of the physics department at WMU from 1916 to 1964, and the Nathan L. Nichols Physics Scholarship. These two scholarships have similar award amounts and requirements, so they are administered together. Applications for these scholarships may be obtained in the Physics Department office. These scholarships are based on academic performance, in physics course work as well as overall. A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required to apply. The amount of the awards is typically $350. There are two deadlines each year, April 1 for awards in the fall semester, and November 1 for the spring semester. The scholarships are renewable depending on continued eligibility and performance.

The Physics department has three ways to honor its most outstanding graduating physics majors. Each department at WMU selects one major per year as their Presidential Scholar. The recipients are recognized at a dinner hosted by the President of Western Michigan University and the President of the Faculty Senate. There is no application process for this honor. The second award is the Charles J. Wilcox Memorial Award, made possible by the family and friends of a former physics graduate student. This modest monetary award is presented to an outstanding graduating physics major every year. The third award is the Haym Kruglak Student Teaching Excellence Award, established by a generous gift from Dr. Haym Kruglak's estate. This monetary award is presented to a secondary education physics major who has demonstrated outstanding effort during the school year for practice teaching. Again, there are no applications for these monetary awards, but it doesn't hurt to keep the undergraduate advisor informed as to when you plan to graduate.

Undergraduates in the College of Arts & Sciences should also be aware that WMU shelters a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society. Outstanding students in any liberal arts field (including physics) may be selected for membership in this society based on their overall academic performance through seven semesters, their good character, and evidence of abilities beyond their particular specialty.

See here for more information.