Physics Department Awards and Fellowships
Brook Award:
This is an award given to a physics student at the end of their junior year who has
demonstrated excellence in physics. The department will evaluate this based on GPA
and engagement in department activities and research.
Dr. Marx Brook joined the Physics department in 1954. Brook’s research interests were
lightning and electrification in thunderstorms. Brook was known to be a master at
designing and building research equipment. Brook was department chair from 1968 to
1978 and subsequently directed Tech’s research and development division until his
retirement in 1986. As research director, he established the Center for Explosives
Technology Research.
| Year | Recipient(s) |
| 2026 | Lily Rich & Elijah Sisneros |
| 2025 | Lauren Hall, Jack Nation, Rio Sessions |
| 2024 | Logan Baeza & Mason Earick |
| 2023 | Forest Good |
| 2022 | Alisha Roberts & David Bennecke |
| 2021 | Lucian Sahd |
| 2020 | John Pantuso & Opale Schappert |
| 2019 | Corey Pearson & Jordan Baker |
| 2018 | Tyjal DeWolf-Moura & Nekeisha Johnson |
| 2017 | Robert Fernandez, Marco Flores, Sebastian Hendrix-Rodriguez |
| 2016 | Thomas Dearing & Isaac Williams |
Fallon Award:
This is an award given to the physics graduate student who does the best job of teaching
freshman physics labs or recitations. The department will evaluate this based on student
evaluations and instructor feedback and observations.
Leslie D. Fallon (or “Doc” as he was commonly known to his students) devoted his career
to teaching. He earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Yale University and taught
at Geneva College and the Mellon Institute (now Carnegie Mellon) before joining the
physics department at New Mexico Tech in 1961. Dedicated to undergraduate education—especially
introductory physics—he led freshman courses and supervised labs until his retirement
in 1981. Doc proved, with his quiet spiritual warmth, that religion and science can
mix.
| Year | Recipient |
| 2026 | Roberto Niardi |
| 2025 | Emma Stover |
| 2024 | Andrew Douglas |
| 2023 | Genna Crom |
| 2022 | Dylan Ward |
| 2021 | James Price |
| 2020 | Kevin Turner |
| 2019 | Megan Hein |
| 2018 | Dana Baylis-Aguirre |
| 2017 | Tierra Candelaria |
| 2016 | Brandon Gray |
Wilkening Award:
This award consists of a technical toolkit of US-made tools. It is given to the graduating
physics student who has demonstrated excellence in experimental physics.
Dr. Marvin Wilkening was an internationally recognized expert on radon gas, atmospheric
ions, and radioactive aerosols, authoring over 35 papers and a book, and serving on
numerous committees. At New Mexico Tech, he chaired the Physics Department for 15
years, conducted research on indoor and outdoor atmospheric environments using radon
and its decay products, and served as Dean of Graduate Studies for 16 years, supporting
graduate students across science and engineering disciplines.
| Year | Recipient |
| 2026 | Minnow Benedict |
| 2025 | Zach Goodrich |
| 2024 | David Bennecke |
| 2023 | Jonathan Dooley |
| 2022 | N/A |
| 2021 | N/A |
| 2020 | N/A |
| 2019 | Luis Contreras-Vidal |
| 2018 | N/A |
| 2017 | Jared Canright |
| 2016 | Daniel Jansen |
Petscheck Award:
This is an award given annually to a physics junior or senior who has exhibited outstanding
and sustained achievement in the field of physics, preferably theoretical physics.
Albert Petscheck joined New Mexico Tech in 1966, spent three years at Science, Systems
and Software in San Diego beginning in 1968, and then returned. A leading figure in
theoretical physics at Tech, he is remembered for his intellectual leadership, teaching,
and incisive seminar questions. Of his 69 publications, 39 were coauthored with Stirling
Colgate, who helped recruit him. His PhD students recall his patience, kindness, and
open-door mentorship.
| Year | Recipient(s) |
| 2026 | Jack Nation |
| 2025 | Tyrus Karmesin & Eliza Canales |
| 2024 | Forest Good & Tatiana Rodriguez |
| 2023 | Alisha Roberts |
| 2022 | Henry Prager |
| 2021 | John Pantuso |
| 2020 | Alex Attanasio |
| 2019 | Zach Lawrence & Emma Schmidt |
| 2018 | Ryder Fox |
| 2017 | N/A |
| 2016 | Stipo Sentic & Matthias Banet |
Petscheck Graduate Summer Fellowship Award:
To support the summer research of an outstanding student with an emphasis in theoretical
physics or astrophysics.
| Year | Recipient |
| 2026 | N/A |
| 2025 | Roberto Niardi |
Caitlin Guenther MacQueen Memorial Scholarship for Women in Physics:
This is an award given to a female Graduate student studying physics. The department
has selected recipients based on their demonstration of resilience.
Caitlin Guenther MacQueen earned a B.S. in Physics with Astrophysics Option and a
B.S. in Mathematics, concurrently, at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology,
graduating in 2014. Caitlin relocated to Melbourne, Australia to attend the University
of Melbourne where she attained her M.Sc. of Physics (with Distinction) in 2016. At
the time of her death, she was in the final stages of earning her Ph.D in Experimental
Particle Physics.
| Year | Recipient |
| 2026 | Megan Hein |
| 2025 | Mariana Baca |
| 2024 | Barbara Olivares-Carvajal |
| 2023 | Montana Williams |
| 2022 | Tierra Candelaria |
The Physics Achievement Award:
The Physics Achievement Award goes to a graduating physics student who embodies the
core values of the department on top of academic excellence, and has demonstrated
personal growth during their time at NMT. (Not awarded every year)
| Year | Recipient |
| 2026 | Olivia Cantrell |
| 2025 | N/A |
| 2024 | Ariana Garcia |
Colgate Excellence in Physics:
When awarded, it is given to a student who has demonstrated New Mexico Tech’s position
of leadership in physics education and research. The amount varies, and is not awarded
every year.
| Year | Recipient(s) |
| 2026 | Rio Sessions & Lily Rich |
| 2025 | David Frothingham |
| 2024 | N/A |
| 2023 | Dylan Ward |
Frazer Owen Graduate Fellowship in Astrophysics:
This award is given to an incoming graduate student who plans to study astrophysics.
| Year | Recipient(s) |
| 2026 | Aman Ullah Khan |
| 2025 | Marina Beltran & Josie Dalsin |
| 2024 | N/A |
| 2023 | Spencer Ireland |
| 2022 | Azia Robinson |
Frazer Owen Physics Summer Support Award:
Provides two months of summer support for up to two physics graduate students in
astrophysics.
| Year | Recipient(s) |
| 2027 | Aman Ullah Khan |
| 2026 | Marina Beltran & Josie Dalsin |
| 2025 | Andrew Douglas & Spencer Ireland |
| 2024 | N/A |
| 2023 | Megan Hein & Frankie Pedroza |