Yale Physics (Intensive) major Barkotel Zemenu – a senior undergraduate researcher in Yale Wright Lab’s Moore Group and co-president of Yale Society of Physics Students (SPS) – was named the Fall 2023 recipient of the Sigma Pi Sigma Leadership Scholarship.
Sigma Pi Sigma is the oldest and only American honor society for physics and astronomy. The purpose of the Sigma Pi Sigma scholarship program is to support Sigma Pi Sigma members and to encourage the pursuit of high scholarship in physics and astronomy. The scholarship is awarded to Sigma Pi Sigma majors that are within 10 years of their induction for the purpose of supporting advanced education.
According to the official selection criteria, “the SPS & Sigma Pi Sigma Scholarship Committee shall consider with equal weight (1) examples of Honor, Encouragement, Service, and Fellowship, (2) the exhibition of the potential and intention for continued scholastic development in physics; and (3) active participation in SPS or Sigma Pi Sigma programs.”
Zemenu’s award packet read, “This year, there were many exceptional applications and we hope you feel honored and encouraged that your application was among the best. We congratulate you on your outstanding academic performance and involvement in the SPS community.”
Associate professor David Moore said, “This well-deserved honor recognizes not only Barkotel’s academic work and research, but also his dedication to the SPS and his work to help lead a number of events bringing together students and faculty in the department.”