Financial Support
Scholarships
The Professor Victor Pollak Scholarship
Born Louis Viktor Pollak on March 25, 1930, in Vienna, Austria, he and his parents fled Nazi occupation for the safety of England in 1939. In 1940, he and his mother sailed for America, sponsored by his mother’s cousin in Cleveland. His father joined them a year later, having been interned as a suspected enemy alien in England, as was the case with so many other men fleeing Nazi Germany.
He graduated with honors from Case Institute of Technology in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and was a member of the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, and received a Ph.D. in Physics in 1960 from Washington University in St. Louis. He worked briefly in industry before taking a position at Oklahoma State University. In 1968, he joined the faculty at the fledgling UNC Charlotte campus on Highway 49, serving as the first chairman of the Physics Department through 1976, becoming a full professor in 1973. He retired as emeritus in 1992.
Throughout his teaching career, he took a great interest in the training of science teachers, and spent many hours developing courses for education students and workshops for in-service teachers. From his own childhood experience, he believed strongly that students learn best by taking responsibility for their own learning, and that teachers should serve as mentors in that process.
The Professor Victor Pollak Scholarship is awarded annually to an outstanding sophomore physics major. The student must have completed a minimum of 8 hours in physics and be currently enrolled as a full time student. The award will be based on merit as indicated by the student’s overall GPA, physics GPA, and participation in Departmental activities.
The Professor Silverio Almeida Scholarship
Silverio Almeida was born in Hudson, M.A. on July 27, 1933. He attended Clark University for his undergraduate education, Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned a Masters in Physics, and Cambridge University in Cambridge, England where he earned a Ph.D in Physics. He was a post-doctoral researcher at the CERN Laboratories in Switzerland. He was internationally recognized for his research and teachings in particle physics and optics, serving on subcommittees for NATO and receiving numerous awards and recognition from his peers.
Dr. Almeida was an accomplished educator and leader. He was a professor of Physics for 21 years at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. He was appointed Chairman of the Physics Department at UNC Charlotte in 1989, where he served for 9 years. During his tenure, he developed the optics research program, in addition to many other achievements. In addition, Dr. Almeida served as Interim Chair of the Physics Department at the College of Charleston.
The Professor Silverio Almeida Scholarship is awarded annually to an outstanding junior or senior physics major. The student must have completed a minimum of 14 hours in physics and be currently enrolled as a full time student. The award will be based on merit as indicated by the student’s overall GPA, physics GPA, and participation in Departmental activities.
Teaching Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships are available at various levels depending upon a student’s capabilities and the teaching assignments. For an M.S. Applied Physics student, these assistantships should be requested directly from the Department Graduate Coordinator.
Research Assistantships
For students in the Optics Program, these assistantships should be requested through the Optics Program Director. For students performing funded research, we have a number of Research Assistantships available through various external grants and contracts. Students should inquire to individual faculty members regarding specific research areas and support.
graduate school scholarship information
Additional Scholarship information can be found here: UNC Charlotte Graduate School.