The Canadian Association of Physicists’ Educational Trust Fund (CAP-ETF) and the OSA Foundation (OSAF) recently awarded former TRIUMF Summer Undergraduate Student, Wilson Brenna, the inaugural Stoicheff Memorial Graduate Scholarship.
Wilson, a graduate student from the University of Waterloo, was awarded the scholarship for demonstrating both academic excellence and outstanding leadership skills. He also assisted in the organization of conferences and was on the Executive of committees to benefit his fellow students.
Wilson came to TRIUMF as the recipient of a Prairies Region Scholarship in 2008 and the TRIUMF Summer Research Scholarship. At TRIUMF, he chose a research project and selected the ATLAS experiment in experimental particle physics.
During his time at TRIUMF, Wilson worked on the ATLAS project under Dr. Isabel Trigger. Isabel noted that Wilson “was doing analysis before we had actual data; looking at Z-bosons decaying to two leptons, which is something that students are now working on with real data here.” Wilson developed analysis algorithms and tested procedures o simulated data.
Isabel describes Wilson as very talented, saying, “He was an interesting student. Later on, when I would run into people from [his old university], they would say, ‘Oh, I have this great student,’ and it would always be Wilson. Academically, he was very bright.” Of the leadership skills that Wilson is being recognized for with this scholarship, Isabel notes that she often met Wilson around CAP events. “He was very big on volunteering for things, so he was often a CAP student representative.”
Recalling Wilson, Isabel points to his enthusiasm as something that stood out. “He was really interested in everything,” Isabel says, “He was never going to be one of those people who sits in a corner and churns out a lot of brilliant code, but doesn’t say anything. He always had a ton of questions.” Wilson’s inquisitive nature led him to the Perimeter Institute where he could go on asking questions—and finding the answers.
Wilson’s success in winning the Stoicheff Scholarship does not surprise Isabel. “I was really happy that he had continued to do as well as I hoped he would. He was fulfilling his early promise. I was really happy to see he was being recognized with the first Stoicheff scholarship. He was always really enthusiastic about everything he was doing.”
The Boris P. Stoicheff Memorial Graduate Scholarship was established as a memorial to Boris P. Stoicheff, an eminent, internationally renowned Canadian laser spectroscopist who also served as President of the Canadian Association of Physicists (1983-84) and The Optical Society (OSA) (1976), as well as an elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
The scholarship for $3000 is to be awarded annually to a graduate student who has demonstrated both research excellence and significant service to the optics or physics community. This year, Dr. Peter Stoicheff, Boris’ son, will present the award to Wilson during the CAP Congress at the University of Calgary. The presentation will take place at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13.
Congratulations, Wilson! And we know that you’ll carry on the legacy of success.
-- Written by Jordan Pitcher (Communications Assistant)