University of Rochester
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The 2006-2007 Annual Report

Robert Penna

actors in still from Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights

This spring, Robert Penna '07 became the first University of Rochester student in five years to be named a Churchill Scholar, a rare academic honor.

The award and scholarship is given annually to 10 students for graduate study in engineering, mathematics, or science. This fall, Penna will attend Cambridge University's Churchill College, pursuing a Certificate of Advanced Study in Mathematics-Part III of the Math Tripos, a one-year-taught master's course in mathematics.

If that weren't enough, Penna was also honored with a graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation along with two doctoral students studying at Rochester.

Penna, an Eden, N.Y., native, already has an established record as a researcher. He coauthored a paper with Alice Quillen, an associate professor of physics and astronomy, that explores the effect of solar storms on the space environment at Earth that was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

He's also worked with Eric Blackman, professor of theoretical astrophysics, to investigate the magnetic pressure and viscosity in accretion disks, celestial areas where gas and interstellar dust accumulate near stars and other space objects, during his time at the University.


Last modified: Friday, 06-Mar-2009 12:50:49 EST