Physics Researcher Awarded Chancellor’s Dissertation Medal

June 5, 2020 | By Cynthia Dillon

Congratulations to Physical Sciences’ James Wampler, a postdoctoral researcher and member of the Ivan Schuller Nanoscience Group, who was selected as a 2020 Chancellor’s Dissertation Medal Recipient. Wampler is one of six medalists selected this year who will be recognized at the Graduate Division Virtual Commencement on Saturday, June 13.

Up to six awards are distributed annually based upon a review of faculty committees in the following divisions: arts and humanities; biological sciences,  including health sciences; Jacobs School of Engineering; physical sciences; social
sciences, including Rady School of Management and the School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Here’s the full list of this year’s medalists:

• Sky Johnston, arts and humanities, history
• Jennifer Dumdie, biological sciences, obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences
• Sunmi Shin, Jacobs School of Engineering, materials science
• James Wampler, physical sciences, physics
• Travis Courtney, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Geosciences Research Division
• Lauren Olsen, social sciences, sociology

Recipients of this prestigious award are chosen based upon the quality of academic research as determined by the impact of the research to the field and/or department; the insight, originality and creativity shown by the author; the effectiveness of the writing, clarity and organization of the thesis and the soundness of the methodology and quality of the data (when applicable). 

Wampler’s dissertation focuses on the search for superconductivity in inhomogeneous materials. Most significantly, his dissertation discusses the discovery of superconductive material in two meteorites.

"I'm very excited and grateful to win this award. I want to recognize my advisor, Professor Ivan Schuller, who taught me invaluable life skills and was an excellent research advisor,” said Wampler. “I also want to recognize my collaborators—the projects in my dissertation were collaborative efforts, and I would not have gotten anywhere without their hard work. Finally, I want to thank the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for their generous support of my thesis research."

The Chancellor’s Dissertation Medal was established through the Chancellor’s 2013 partnership with the Graduate Student Association to introduce the award as an opportunity to recognize outstanding doctoral research.