Purpose

The William Robert Simmons Scholarship Endowment has been established to offer a university education to serious students who might otherwise not have the monetary resources necessary to allow them to devote themselves to learning. Scholarship assistance shall be used for resident tuition and textbooks to selected undergraduate students, although the funds available will probably not cover all such expenses. These students must be matriculated in the CU Denver Physics, Mathematics, or College of Engineering and Applied Science undergraduate programs. The Scholarship Fund has been established with funds from the family, friends and colleagues of Professor William Robert (Bill) Simmons.

Who was William Simmons?

William R. (Bill) Simmons passed away Dec. 3, 1996. He taught physics at CU Denver for over 20 years, continuing through the spring 1996 semester. Bill was an outstanding teacher and his dedication to his students and their needs was legendary. Bill was able to effectively teach his students to work to the best of their abilities. They learned to apply their knowledge and excelled after leaving college. Bill was repeatedly elected as the Outstanding Engineering Professor of the Year, receiving nine engineering awards in his 21 years of teaching. He was a finalist once in the schoolwide Teacher Recognition Awards. Professor Simmons was a Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Pi Sigma, and Sigma Xi honor student himself. He began school on the GI Bill for veterans and never stopped learning. He encouraged his students to learn from every experience. Bill’s undergraduate degree was in engineering physics and his PhD was in physics so he had one foot firmly planted in physics and one in engineering.

This $2000 scholarship offered in his name has been established to offer a university education to serious students whom might otherwise not have the monetary resources necessary to allow them to devote themselves to learning. Scholarship assistance shall be used for resident tuition and textbooks to selected undergraduate students. Students may receive successive scholarships for subsequent semesters if they continue to meet eligibility criteria.

Eligibilty Criteria

• Applicants must be undergraduate students matriculated in Physics, Math, or the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
• Scholarships are open to all undergraduate students regardless of gender, race or creed.
• Applicants need not demonstrate financial need.
• Applicants must qualify for Colorado in-state tuition.
• Applicants must be enrolled for six or more credit hours per semester.
• Applicants must possess a minimum 3.2 overall grade point average and demonstrate an exuberant and inquisitive attitude toward learning. First term freshman applicants must have a grade point average that includes college courses.

Materials to Submit for Application

• Two letters of recommendation from academic/professional references. At least one of these letters must be from a professor.
• Request a transcript from each higher education institution that you have attended. Transcripts should be sent directly from the institution to the CU Denver Physics office.
• Submit a personal letter of application stating professional goals and interests. The statement should include any additional information on educational honors, societies, and outside hobbies and interests, which would qualify the student for this scholarship.
• Submit a brief résumé.

If you would like to receive more information about the scholarship, please send an e-mail to physics.chair@ucdenver.edu.