Harvard undergraduate Charles Law '17 has been selected for the prestigious Universities Space Research Association (USRA) Scholarship Award.

The President and CEO of USRA, Jeffrey Isaacson, presented Law with the Frederick Tarantino Memorial Scholarship Award at a ceremony held November 2 during the USRA annual meeting located at Harvard this year. Also present at the ceremony was Dan Milisavljevic (SAO Postdoctoral Fellow who supervised Law as a PRISE fellow), Edo Berger (Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies), and Jonathan Grindlay (Professor and USRA representative).

Law is a double major in Physics & Astrophysics who has accumulated considerable interdisciplinary research experiences. Working with Milisavljevic in the Patnaude Lab of the High Energy Astrophysics Division, Law modeled the dynamics of supernova explosions in three dimensions, and led an investigation into the nature of diffuse interstellar bands using high resolution optical spectra obtained in a one year survey of massive stars. Law is now working with Professor Karin Öberg on his senior thesis, which is aimed at characterizing the carbon chain chemistry in an unbiased sample of Solar-type protostars.

USRA scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students who tackle challenging scientific questions in the areas of space research and exploration, and who create technologies and solutions that will positively impact people's lives. The 5 finalists were selected from a pool of 59 entrants from 46 different universities, and was based on the originality and creativity of their current work, their career interests, and their achievement and leadership both inside and outside the classroom.

More details can be found on the USRA scholarship announcement page:

http://www.usra.edu/news/pr/2016/scholarship/

This happy occasion came about since USRA staff were at Harvard for their meeting with the University representatives from the New England "Region I" for USRA. Josh Grindlay (far right) is the Harvard rep to USRA and says that, "Charles' award was a highlight of the meeting."