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| "Physics is super relevant in my personal life. I'm big into motorcycles, I have a street bike and a dirt bike, and being able to approach that through physics is really cool. I appreciate it." - Nate Johnson '11 |
Nate Johnson '11 didn't take a typical path to becoming a physics major at Augsburg College. He didn't take advanced placement science classes in high school. He didn't arrive on campus with tons of calculus experience. Nor did he arrive on campus and immediately begin taking physics courses.
In high school, Nate took a grand total of one science class. "I attended a high school with a primary focus on helping teens with a history of substance abuse build an emotional and spiritual foundation," he wrote. "This came at the cost of some opportunities for more advanced studies."
Nate is a problem solver, however. That, along with a natural curiosity about how things work, led him to discover the world of physics. He built on that interest and put it to work at Augsburg this past summer in the biophysics lab. Nate participated in research to determine "a bending modulus for lipid worm-like micelles." (Ask Nate to explain!) Following that research, Nate was recently named one of four Rossing Physics Scholars by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, becoming one of only four students at an ELCA college or university to receive a $10,000 scholarship.
Like Nate Johnson, many of us take a different path in life. We don't do that alone, however. We are supported by Auggies and others that have gone before us. At Augsburg, Nate is in the StepUP® Program, which supports students in recovery from addiction. Leading up to his current research, he worked with professors Ben Stottrup and Dave Hanson in examining the effects that atmospheric pollutants have on cloud formation. To do this, he received a summer research grant from Augsburg's Sundquist Scholars fund and support from the Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO) office.
Have you ever thought about helping another Augsburg student like Nate to discover his or her talents and find a vocation in life? Please contact Doug Scott at (612) 330-1575 or scottd@augsburg.edu to explore ways to use your assets to give another student the chance for an Augsburg experience.
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