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Clarion University senior Jacob Beckey earns Fulbright award

April 20, 2018

beckeyJacob Beckey, a senior at Clarion University, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship through which he will spend a year at University of Birmingham (England). There, he will earn a Master of Research degree in quantum technology.

Beckey will graduate May 12 from Clarion with bachelor's degrees in math and physics. He has completed the degree requirements in three years with a 3.97 GPA.

After graduating and before traveling to Birmingham, he will complete an internship with Quantum Information Science Group, Oak Ridge (Tennessee) National Lab.

Beckey's journey to University of Birmingham next fall will be his second trip there. Last summer, he was an international REU student in quantum optics. He researched "Simulation of Ponderomotive Squeezed Light in Laser Interferometers," which entailed working within Birmingham's gravitational-wave group to model a method of surpassing the standard quantum limit of an interferometer. He presented that research in January at American Astronomical Society's 231st Meeting.

At University of Birmingham, Beckey worked with Dr. Haixing Miao and Dr. Andreas Freise, who encouraged him to return for further work through the Fulbright program and provided a letter of recommendation. Back in Clarion, he worked with Dr. Bill Naugle to prepare and submit his Fulbright application. He was notified of the award in mid April.

His notification letter said, in part, "As you know, the Fulbright is both highly competitive and highly selective. In addition, being selected as an awardee for the United Kingdom is phenomenal since there are a very limited number of awards for this country and many hundreds of applicants."

Following Beckey's year abroad, he will begin a fellowship through the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program, doing research and earning his PhD at University of Colorado, Boulder.

Beckey, 20, is from New Sewickley. He is a graduate of Freedom High School.

Last Updated 1/11/21