Directed Energy Professional Society grants $140,000 in graduate scholarships

The Directed Energy Professional Society (DEPS; Albuquerque, NM) board of scientific and engineering advisors and its executive director Mark Neice have announced the DEPS graduate scholarship awardees for the 2017-2018 academic year. Fourteen technical students from the total field of applicants were awarded $10,000 partial scholarships to continue studying or pursuing a career in directed-energy (DE) technology areas, including high-energy laser (HEL) and high-power microwave (HPM) areas. These students include:

--Nicholas Antonellis, Wesleyan University

--Lilian Casias, University of New Mexico

--Justin Cook, University of Central Florida

--Samuel Dickerson, University of Missouri-Columbia

--Patrick Forbes, University of Wisconsin-Madison

--Evan Hale, University of Central Florida

--Matthew Kemnetz, Notre Dame University

--Amanda Loveless, Purdue University

--Drew Packard, University of Michigan

--Michael Plascak, University of Central Florida

--Jon Pouncey, University of New Mexico

--Zachary Shaw, Texas Tech University

--Amber Vargas, Clemson University

--Ray Wambold, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Candidates for the award must be full-time graduate students who are interested in pursuing or are currently studying HEL and HEM technologies. Since 2011, DEPS has provided more than $715,000 in scholarships. The funds for these awards are provided by grants from the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office, the Office of Naval Research, and DEPS.

"The DEPS Scholarship committee was exceptionally pleased to see such a diversity of individuals, universities, and topic areas submitted," says Diana Loree, the DEPS board of directors liaison to the board of scientific and engineering advisors. "Almost half of the awarded efforts are related to high-power microwave systems or components as well as the expected ones in laser systems and components. These scholarships are critical to the encouragement and development of DE future professionals which is a charter of this professional society and the other organizations funding these grants."

The DEPS fosters research, development, and transition of DE technologies, including HEL and HEM technologies, for national defense and civilian applications through professional communication and education.

For more info, see www.deps.org.

Source: https://protected.networkshosting.com/depsor/DEPSpages/graphics/PR17-5-Scholars.pdf