Sophomore Helen Meskhidze received the Society of Physics Students Outstanding Student Award for Undergraduate Research.
Helen Meskhidze, president of the Elon University’s Society of Physics Students chapter, received a national award for her service with the society and her astrophysics research at NC State during the summer of 2013.
Meskhidze actively recruits guest speakers for weekly SPS meetings and encourages physics students to present their research to their peers. Her research at NC State pertained to the structure of cocoons around exploding stars that emit gamma-ray bursts and the overall effect that composition plays in this complicated process. This results of this work culminated in a published presentation at the 223rd American Astronomical Society meeting.
The award supports travel to the International Conference of Physics Students in Heidelberg, Germany and students are also invited to present at a national SPS conference. In additional to travel funds, Meskhidze will also receive $500 to support her current astrophysics research at Elon University and another $500 to support the university’s SPS chapter.
Meskhidze was one of a small number of physics majors nationwide to win the award.