An important priority for the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University is to recognize and award excellence in research carried out by the faculty and graduate students of the College. As an example, the Eberly College recognizes one faculty member each year with an outstanding researcher award.

The college is pleased to announce that Mohindar Seehra, Ph.D., has created the Dr. Mohindar S. Seehra Research Award. The goal of this annual award will be to recognize a doctoral student who is advancing research in physics in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences by publishing his/her research in high-quality peer-reviewed physics journals. All physics doctoral candidates are eligible for consideration for the award.

“We are grateful to Dr. Seehra for his long service and many contributions to the University,” said Robert Jones, dean of the Eberly College. “This generous gift strengthens a program already growing in national prominence. It will allow the Department of Physics to attract, retain and recognize the best and brightest graduate researchers.”

Mohindar Seehra began his career in India where he received his bachelor’s degrees in physics, chemistry and mathematics from Punjab University followed by a master’s degree in physics from Aligarh University. In 1969, he earned his doctoral degree at the University of Rochester and from there joined the physics faculty at WVU. During his 42-year tenure at WVU, Seehra has collected an impressive list of accolades and achievements. He was a Sloan Foundation Research Fellow and he is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Institute of Physics (U.K.). In 2010, he received the ‘Outstanding Referee” award of the American Physical Society for his service as a reviewer of the journals published by the society. He has been an Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of Physics since 1992, his research grants to date total over $7 million dollars and his list of contributions to scholarly publications exceeds 250.

“High quality publications are the life-blood of research,” he said. “During my teaching and research career at WVU, I have supervised and directed the research of over 60 graduate and postdoctoral students. I have always strived to publish our research in high quality national and international peer-reviewed journals in the belief that such publications enhance the reputation of WVU and the research careers of the students.”

It is Seehra’s hope that this award will encourage graduate students to excel in research, follow in his footsteps and publish their research in quality, peer-reviewed journals.

“My two children are also graduates of the University,” he said “Establishing this endowment is a way to give back to WVU which has been my home for the past 42 years.”

The gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the private, non-profit organization that generates, receives and administers private gifts for the benefit of WVU.

For more information on how you can contribute to graduate education at WVU, contact Bonnie Fisher, Director of Development, at (304) 293-4611 or Bonnie.Fisher@mail.wvu.edu

-WVU-

jl/10/17/11

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