Funding and Awards

Professional Development Support

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is dedicated to giving its students the support they need to be successful. In this spirit, the department provides professional development funding to MSE and NE students who wish to engage in co-curricular activities. Students can request up to $500 in professional development support. Activities may include travel support, conference attendance and training opportunities.

Email the MSE Finance Team

Botic Family Scholars Professional Pathways Fund

Ben Botic received his Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 1971 and credits his college experiences for setting the foundation for his future career. Following in his footsteps, Ben’s children continued the tradition of Gator graduates in the family. Ben’s daughter, Michelle Lynn, earned her UF degree in 1992, and his son, Bryan, received a UF degree in 1993.

The Botic family decided to create a fund that will support both materials science and engineering and nuclear engineering students by providing experiential learning opportunities anywhere in the world. These experiences will give students the hands-on skills to become outstanding professionals in their chosen professions.

The recipients will be identified as Botic Family Scholars and will be supported financially to enhance their learning and defer the costs of industry internships, national lab placements, and other programs that provide valuable student experiences outside the classroom.

Botic Family Scholars Professional Pathways application form

Jump to External Awards and Resources

PLEASE NOTE: Departmental scholarship applications do not open until October 1. The application window for scholarships is October 1 – 31.

DEPARTMENTAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Materials Science and Engineering Awards

Scholarship Application form

F.N. Rhines and W.R. Tarr Scholarship

Description: Scholarship for undergraduates in Materials Science and Engineering. Recipients must be students who are active in supporting the department and the undergraduate activities of the department.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing
Active in supporting the department’s activities

Background: Dr. Walter R. Tarr created this fund in 1986, naming the scholarship, in part, after the department founder Fredrick Nims Rhines, who chaired Dr. Tarr’s doctoral committee. Dr. Tarr received all three of his engineering degrees from UF, completing his Ph.D. in 1973. When asked about establishing the scholarship, Dr. Tarr stated, “I got a great deal out of being here at the department, and I wanted to give something back.” Dr. Tarr hoped the scholarship would encourage students to enter materials engineering. The F.N. Rhines and W.R. Tarr Scholarship Fund was the first scholarship to be given by a graduate of Florida’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Tarr and his wife, Patricia, both live in New Jersey.

Vladimir Grodsky Memorial Fund Scholarship

Description: Scholarship for undergraduates in Materials Science and Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good academic standing
Seeking a certificate in metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Background: May R. Hood established this scholarship as part of her estate in memory of Vladimir A. Grodsky.

Robert David Adamson Scholarship

Description: Scholarship for undergraduates in Materials Science and Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing

Background: Created by Martha A. Clarke Adamson in memory of her husband, Robert David Adamson, who passed away in 1999. Both Adamsons are graduates of UF. Mr. Adamson earned a bachelor’s degree in materials science engineering and Mrs. Adamson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Robert E. Reed-Hill Scholarship

Description: Scholarship for undergraduates in Materials Science and Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing

Background: Dr. Robert E. Reed-Hill retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1959 as a Commander and moved to Gainesville in 1960, where he was very active in the UF community. He was active in research, wrote many publications and worked on various projects in the field of physical metallurgy. He is co-author of the textbook Physical Metallurgy Principles, which is used worldwide.

Jonathan Hack Memorial Scholarship for Materials Science

Description: Scholarship for graduate students in Materials Science and Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time graduate students in good academic standing

Background: MH2 Technology Law Group LLP (formerly Min, Hsieh & Hack, LLP) established this fund in 2006 in memory of Jonathan A. Hack. He was born March 28, 1965, in Milwaukee, WI. He earned a B.S. in business administration and management in 1988, a B.S. in physics in 1994, a master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering in 2006, all from UF. Jonathan was a registered patent attorney and the founding partner of MH2 Technology Law Group LLP, where he applied his extensive experience in all aspects of patent law. Before joining MH2 Technology Law Group LLP, he was an attorney with the law firm of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP in Washington, DC. Jonathan was also a former patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he examined patent applications for the fabrication of semiconductor devices and VLSI. Before his legal career, Jonathan worked as an applications engineer for Mitsubishi Cable America, Inc., where he counseled and advised on semiconductor, opto-electronics devices, and fiber-optic technologies. He held three U.S. patents for ferromagnetic semiconductors based on his research at UF. In addition, he coauthored three journal articles and gave lectures on nanotechnology, microelectromechanical systems and light-emitting materials. He passed away on April 6, 2006, at 41.

Richard G. Connell Scholarship

Description: Scholarship for undergraduates in Materials Science and Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing

Background: This fund was established by Linda Connell in 2008 in memory of her husband, Dr. Richard G. “Doc” Connell, Jr., to support undergraduate scholarships in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Doc earned his doctorate at UF in Materials Science and Engineering in 1973. He was a faculty member of UF for more than 30 years as a professor of metallurgical engineering. Doc served as Associate Chairman and Associate Professor of the department, an undergraduate academic adviser and a faculty adviser before retiring in 2004. He won numerous awards, including “Teacher of the Year” and “Adviser of the Year.” Doc had a passion for teaching and worked alongside the students throughout his career. He passed away in 2007.

Nuclear Engineering Awards

Scholarship Application form

The University of Florida NRC Nuclear Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship (Available Fall 2024, 2025 and 2026 only)

The objective of the University of Florida NRC Nuclear Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship Program is to produce high-quality engineers who will benefit the various sectors of the nuclear industry. The goal is to provide 5-10 scholarships of up to $10,000 to undergraduates. The University of Florida Nuclear Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship Program intends to award scholarships to individuals pursuing nuclear science, engineering, health physics and other disciplines that may be beneficial in developing and maintaining a nuclear workforce. Students must be enrolled in our undergraduate bachelor’s degree program. Eligible candidates will be ensured to have good academic standing, competitive GPA, and be classified as full-time students. Students receiving a University of Florida NRC Nuclear Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship will be required to sign the terms and conditions form indicating they accept service agreement terms for the NRC scholarship.

Ohanian Scholarship Fund

Description: Scholarship for undergraduates in Nuclear Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing
Florida resident
Junior and senior students seeking a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering

Background: This fund was established by Sandra Ohanian in 2011.

N.L. Griesheimer Memorial Fund

Description: Scholarship for undergraduates in Nuclear Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing
Junior and senior students seeking a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering

Alan M. Jacobs Memorial Funds

Description: Scholarship for undergraduate and graduate students in Nuclear Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate and graduate students in good academic standing

James E. Swander Memorial Scholarship Fund

Description: Annual scholarship supporting one or more outstanding graduate students in the Nuclear Engineering program and Engineering Sciences. Based on leadership, academic excellence, and personal character as exemplified in the life and work of Dr. Swander.

Eligibility:

Full-time graduate students in good academic standing
Or, for a student in need of emergency funds

Background: Dr. James Swander earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in nuclear engineering from UF in 1966 and 1974, respectively. He married a fellow student, Dr. Karen Swander, who earned both her master’s degree in 1967 and her doctoral degree in education in 1971 from UF. This scholarship was established by family and friends upon his death on June 6, 1974.

Roberto Pagano Memorial Scholarship Fund

Description: Scholarship for undergraduate and graduate students seeking a degree in Nuclear Engineering.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate and graduate students in good academic standing
Or for a student in need of emergency funds

Background: Dr. Pagano came to the U.S. in 1964 after enduring four winters working in London. Because of immigration restrictions, the only way he was able to do this was to apply to graduate school, and he found two programs of interest here in warm climates. He chose UF. He had two B.S. degrees and an M.S. degree in Physics from the University of Cape Town, and he obtained a Master’s M.E. degree after arriving in Gainesville. For his doctorate, he felt fortunate to work with Dr. John Wethington in the Nuclear Engineering Department, who became a lifelong friend and mentor. He often spoke of the summer they spent together in Texas working with NASA, and his love of space adventures, no doubt, was the product of that collaboration.

After graduation from UF in 1970, Dr. Pagano moved to Lynchburg, VA, with Babcock and Wilcox, a nuclear corporation. In 1972, he started working for The Mitre Corporation in McLean, VA; however, his goal was always to return to UF. He moved his expanding family to Gainesville in 1979 when Dr. Erich Farber hired him as director of a training program in alternative energy technologies for developing countries. His final years at UF involved counseling graduate students and teaching graduate courses. He often remarked that his “Outstanding Teacher Award” presented by Alpha Nu Sigma in 1991 was his most rewarding achievement because it was from the students.

Ric Perez Fund for Student Professional Enhancement

Description: Support professional development and experiential learning for undergraduate and graduate students in the MSE department or the NE program who have demonstrated leadership, service, or scholarship related to advancing the Hispanic-Latino community.

Eligibility:

Full-time undergraduate and graduate students in good academic standing
Submission of an essay that describes the student’s efforts concerning the advancement of the Hispanic-Latino community