John Gamble Awarded National Science Foundation Fellowship

Senior becomes the fifth Wooster physics major in seven years to receive coveted NSF Grant

John Gamble

WOOSTER, Ohio - John Gamble, a senior physics and mathematics double major at The College of Wooster, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. Gamble, who carries a 3.97 grade point average, plans to use the $120,000 grant to pursue a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

"I am very excited about the fellowship," said Gamble, a resident of Erie, Pa. "It will give me an opportunity to focus on classes and research without having to worry about funding."

The National Science Foundation awards graduate fellowships based on the intellectual merit of candidates (competency in conducting scientific research) and the broader impacts of their scientific activities. Applicants are evaluated on their ability to effectively integrate research and education at all levels. NSF awards seek to encourage diversity and broaden opportunities for students in science. In addition, the graduate fellowship program supports students whose research will enhance scientific and technical understanding, and whose projects will benefit society.

Gamble, whose primary interest is theoretical condensed matter physics and quantum computation, was chosen for the fellowship because of his academic record as well as his commitment to the Physics Club's outreach program, which brings physics demonstrations to elementary schools throughout the county.

Gamble credits Wooster for providing him with a number of research opportunities, particularly Wooster's nationally renowned Senior Independent Study (I.S.) program, which matches each student with a faculty mentor in a yearlong research project that culminates in a graduate-level thesis, performance, or exhibition of artwork. He also noted the importance of being able to participate in research programs during each of the past three summers, including one at Wooster.

"John is a superb and multi-talented student who richly deserves his NSF Fellowship," said John Lindner, professor of physics and Gamble's Senior I.S. advisor. "It has been wonderful working with him this year on his senior thesis, which mathematically explores the foundations of quantum mechanics, and on the award-winning Physics Club video 'Theoretical Football,' which he directed and edited."

Shila Garg, dean of faculty and professor of physics at Wooster, spotted something special in Gamble when he worked in her lab at a Research Experience for Undergraduate session after his first year. "I am not at all surprised that John received an NSF Graduate Fellowship," she said. "He is not only an extremely bright student, but he also takes the responsibilities of being a scientist very seriously.

"John is interested in making science exciting and accessible to everyone," added Garg. "This has been obvious from his leadership role in the Physics Club outreach activities in the elementary schools. His excitement for physics is contagious, and his ability to think creatively and work meticulously will serve him well."

After completing the Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin, Gamble will likely follow a path similar to the one taken by his father, John, a 1967 Wooster graduate and now a professor at Penn State University's Behrend campus in Erie. "I'm a hopeless academic," he said. "I love to tackle interesting problems just for the sake of knowledge, and I would really enjoy teaching at the college level."