Electrical engineering major and Dunwoody, Georgia, native Jonathan Tuck accepted the highest award for a graduating senior at the Georgia Institute of Technology on April 20, 2016: the Love Family Foundation Scholarship. Awarded each year to a member of the graduating senior class who has the most outstanding scholastic record of all members of the class, the $10,000 scholarship is provided by the Gay and Erskine Love Foundation. Students in all six of the Institute’s colleges are considered for the award.

Tuck’s stellar academic record, which boasts a 4.0 GPA, has been punctuated by a passion for research. He participated in two Opportunity Research Scholars (ORS) projects. During his first year with ORS, he was selected for an interdisciplinary team comprised of chemical and electrical engineering students. The group investigated the effects of molecular weight and crosslinker functionality on dielectric films and was advised by Professor Paul Kohl. At the end of his sophomore year, he applied for the intensive ECE Research Option program that recognizes undergraduate students who have participated in a concentrated research effort that results in an undergraduate thesis.

During his junior and senior year, he joined Professor Ayanna Howard’s ORS team and worked in the Human-Automation Systems Laboratory on assistive rehabilitative technology for people with disabilities.

To date, Tuck has three publications, an invited talk, and a patent—all major achievements for an undergraduate student. He credits getting involved in research early in his academic career with much of his success.

“I would encourage any undergraduate to get involved in undergraduate research—the earlier the better. Research enhanced my ability to perform in class, it made me a better public speaker, and it improved the way I tutored students,” said Tuck.

In addition to the Love Scholarship, Jonathan has won several other academic awards including the College of Engineering Most Outstanding Researcher Award and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Most Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award.

In the summer between his junior and senior year, he conducted research at Stanford University through the Semiconductor Research Corporation supported STARnet program. Tuck worked under Professor Boris Murmann in the area of signal processing applications for ultrasound. At the end of the summer, Tuck’s mind was made up—he would pursue a Ph.D. and Stanford was his institution of choice.

Once Tuck receives his diploma, he will head to Cupertino, California, for a summer-long internship at Apple before starting graduate school at Stanford. As far as the more distant future, Tuck’s career aspirations could evolve in a number of directions including starting a company, as a part of an industry or government R&D team, or even his “dream job” of teaching at Georgia Tech.

Photo: Rafael Bras presents Jonathan Tuck with the Love Family Foundation Scholarship Award.