Physics Senior Receives National Science Foundation Scholarship

by Judy Long

Baylor University senior physics major Michael Henry has been awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation to pursue graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The purpose of the NSF scholarship is to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, mathematics and engineering in the United States and to reinforce its diversity. The fellowship offers recognition and three years of support for advanced study to 900 outstanding graduate students nationwide in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering and behavioral and social sciences. The Graduate Research Fellowship is the only program of direct student support offered by the NSF.
Henry is known to be an exemplary student and highly deserving of the fellowship.
Dr. Truell Hyde, vice provost for research, said NSF fellowships are extremely competitive and Henry is only the second Baylor student to receive one in the past 15 years.
"He has been active in research within the Hypervelocity Impacts and Dusty Plasmas Lab, where he has been involved in developing a mathematical package for analysis of experimental dusty plasma data," said Hyde, who also serves as director of the Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics and Engineering Research (CASPER). Henry's research led to shared authorship of an article which was accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research.
Henry said he is ecstatic to receive the honor. "I owe a huge part of my success to Dr. Truell Hyde and Dr. Lorin Matthews [lecturer in physics]. My experience with CASPER was the most rewarding and valuable academic experience I've had at Baylor, or anywhere for that matter. I have been involved in experimental dusty plasma physics
research within CASPER for the past 3 years," he said.
Henry's future plans include university teaching and research. "The goal of my academic and professional life is to teach and conduct research in a way that profits humanity, and I am motivated by the belief that science can always benefit society," he said.