Departmental Graduate Awards

Beginning in 2017, the Physics Department offers two awards to graduate students. The Outstanding Teaching Award is awarded annually to graduate student teaching assistants who excel in teaching undergraduate students. The Outstanding Service Award recognizes when a graduate student has had a notable positive impact on the departmental, university or research community. Awardees are selected from faculty nominations and receive a certificate and check in recognition. 

 

Outstanding Teaching Award

2025 Mahesha Jeewanthi. College Physics

2025 Ashley Summers. College Physics

2024 Ayusah Paul. College Physics

2023 Kelum Perera, University Physics 1

2022 Chris Schmiedl, Intermediate and Advanced Lab

2021 Corinne Callison. College Physics

2021 Babak Kasmaei. College Physics I and II

2020 Emmy Duckworth. Intermediate and Advanced Lab

2019 Rony Saha. College Physics II

2019 Olena Iadlovska. University Physics I

2018 Adane Gebretsadik. Intermediate and Advanced Lab

2018 Talant Ruzmetov. University Physics II

2017 Daniel Gavazzi. Physics of Entertainment and the Arts

Outstanding Service Award

2025 Sineth Kodikara
For his positive influence on our graduate student community, especially his attention to helping international incoming students become comfortable as they transition to graduate work and our departmental community.

2024 Maci Kesler
For her work in outreach during the activities related to the total eclipse.

2024 Michael Skarowns
For his instrumental work in reviving the planetarium in the last year, as well as his consistent attention to helping students.

2020 Hemantha Rajapaksha
For local leadership in scientific societies, student associations, and outreach including the KSU chapter of Optical Society of America, KSU Sri Lankan Student Association, and organization of professional student seminar series.

2020 Golam Mustafa
For establishing Biophysical Society Chapter at KSU providing a platform for external speakers and local research talk and journal clubs in biophysics.

2019 Mojtaba Rajabi, Hemantha Rajapaksha, Hend Baza, and Rony Saha 
For promoting graduate student research. These Officers in the Physics Graduate Student Association did an outstanding job organizing a lunchtime seminar series for graduate student research. They also organized the first annual Research Symposium at KSU including judging for a poster session and presentations of graduate students research across departments at KSU and local universities. 

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