Augustana junior awarded $5,000 physics scholarship

Augustana junior John P. McDonaugh has been awarded a $5,000 Rossing Physics Scholarship for 2019 -2020.

He is from Northbrook, Ill., and is majoring in physics and mathematics with a minor in German.

"I chose physics because I fell in love with the subject during high school," he said. "All my life I had asked questions of why things work as they do. With physics I was able to find a concept whose very essence revolves around asking questions about why something does what it does, then describing it for all others to know it as well."

McDonaugh plans to go to graduate school to study physics, although he's not sure what concentration he'll pursue in the field. He's currently doing research with Dr. Nathan Frank.

"Pretty much all of my faculty within my majors has really helped me grow intellectually and as a person," he said. "I would say especially Dr. Nathan Frank, Dr. Cecilia Vogel, Dr. Jon Clauss, Dr. Andrew Sward and Dr. Stacey Rodman."

McDonaugh chose Augustana because he wanted a smaller school. "On my second visit I realized that compared to all the other schools that I visited there was just way more of a click with Augustana and its community," he said.

In addition to his studies, McDonaugh is a member of the John Deere Chapter of Sigma Xi (a chapter of the Scientific Research Society of North America), Pi Mu Epsilon national honorary mathematics society, and Delta Omega Nu.

Dr. Thomas D. Rossing created the fund through the Foundation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Awards go to exemplary physics students attending one of the 26 ELCA colleges and universities to be used for their tuition.

Previous Augustana winners include Adam Gronewold in 2017 and Mark Hoffman in 2014.

The application process for Rossing Scholarships is initiated annually in the late autumn. Awards typically are announced in early April.