Outstanding Students
At the end of the year, each of the academic departments and interdisciplinary programs in the College of the Pacific honors a truly exceptional graduating senior or group of seniors with the Outstanding Graduate Award. This award is given to students who have not only earned a consistently high academic record, but who have also been actively involved in the discipline through activities, research, or special projects.
Meet Our Outstanding 2014 Graduates:
Physics - Austin Tuttle
Austin, who double-majored in Physics and Mathematics during his time at Pacific, maintained an exceptionally high standard of academic work, completeing a Pacific Fund Summer Undergraduate Research fellowship and presenting at the National Science Foundation sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer program. An active member of the campus community, Austin was a Physics Lab Teaching Assistant, a math and physics tutor, a member of several professional honor societies including Phi Kappa Phi, and a member of the Pacific Honors Program. Upon graduation, Austin traveled to Minnesota to attend University of Minnesota as a PhD candidate in their Applied Mathematics program. We look forward to what the future holds for Austin.
Physics Engineering - Michael Ledesma
Michael was not only an outstanding Physics Engineering student, but an active and involved member of the Pacific community as well. He was recognized for his distinguished service as a first-year resident assistant, and continued to serve as a member of the Housing and Greek Life team during his studies at Pacific. As a student, Michael pursued several academic passions, including undergraduate research in radio astronomy and quantum optics, and was a member of the four-person team that built V.I.R.A, a three-foot tall autonomous tour guide robot that can navigate through the first floor of the Chambers Technology Center at University of the Pacific while avoiding both people and obstacles. We wish Michael the best in his future pursuits.
Meet Our Outstanding 2011 Graduate
Erin Hardy, an Engineering-Physics and Applied Math major, was selected as our Outstanding Senior this year. To give an example of how strong she is academically, Erin aced Astrophysics (PHYS 141)—a serious course that requires four semesters of calculus and differential equations, plus relativity and quantum mechanics. Professors in both Physics and Mathematics Departments have confessed to grading her work first, so they would have a clear key to use for grading other students' work.
Erin will be off to grad school at Dartmouth, to get a Master's in Engineering, with a focus on environmental issues.