People, papers and presentations

Nicolas Marquez Peraca, a graduate student in physics and astronomy, is one of 78 students awarded a competitive 2021 SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship from the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE). SPIE scholarships are awarded based on applicants’ accomplishments and potential contributions. It’s been a busy month for Peraca, a Ph.D. candidate in the laboratory of Junichiro Kono, who also won the Department of Physics and Astronomy’s 2021 Kevin E. Strecker Award and gave an invited talk at EducationUSA Uruguay while serving as a Rice Ambassador in the Office of International Students and Scholars’ Rice Experiences Advertised to Prospects — Internationally program.

Alumnus Henry Bair ’17 was named a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. Bair, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in biochemistry and medieval studies, joins 75 others in the 2021 cohort hailing from 48 undergraduate institutions across 26 countries. The scholarship funds the cost of graduate studies at Stanford University, where Bair is pursuing an M.D. at Stanford School of Medicine and a master’s degree in business administration at Stanford Graduate School of Business.