Elijah Heyer ‘25 and Matthew Mondry ‘26 are studying as Rossing Physics Scholars.

This is the second time two ¶À¼ÒºÚÁÏ students were selected to receive the honor, and Heyer marks the first time a student received it for the second consecutive year. 

Dr. Thomas D. Rossing created the Rossing Scholarship through the Foundation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to recognize excellence in physics. 

Mondry is a physics major and said receiving this scholarship showed him he is on the right track for his career and that his schooling has been paying off. 

“It feels like another push telling me to continue down the path of physics. I love how physicists can come up with equations that completely describe why anything happens in the universe,” Mondry said. 

Heyer is also a physics major with a minor in mathematics. His interest in physics stems from the unique challenges and unknowns of the field. Heyer said he enjoys problem solving, and the payoff he feels from solving something complicated is rewarding. 

“I feel very honored to have received this scholarship even once, so finding out that I was selected as a recipient again is very motivating because it shows the benefits of continuously seeking out new opportunities,” Heyer said. 

After graduation, Mondry plans to continue his studies in graduate school but hasn’t decided on a field of study yet. Heyer plans to study physics with an emphasis in astrophysics at graduate school.

Both recipients highlighted the ample opportunities they’ve had with ¶À¼ÒºÚÁÏ’s physics program. Heyer and Mondry have participated in the yearly NASA Space Grant challenge. 

Mondry has worked on several research projects including quantum tunneling and the optical properties of semiconductors. He has also started the astronomy club on campus.

Heyer has worked on research projects that sparked an interest in the coding and data analysis of physics. 

“The creativity and teamwork these challenges inspired were so unique, and I really enjoyed being able to put our collective knowledge into something physical and operational,” he said. 

Heyer and Mondry thanked Dr. Luiz Manzoni, Dr. Thelma Berquó, and Dr. Saroj Thapa for being important mentors on campus. 

 

Written by Alyssa Czernek '25