Louise A. Wyant Memorial Graduate Student Endowed Scholarship in Optical Sciences

A native of Massachusetts, Louise A. Wyant received her bachelor’s degree in art from Boston’s Emmanuel College in 1963. In 1974 she moved to Tucson with her husband, Jim, who had accepted a faculty position at the Optical Sciences Center. Tucson remained her home until her death in 2004.

Louise excelled as a watercolorist, receiving numerous prestigious local awards.  She was a signature member of the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild and served for nearly 25 years in various membership roles, including President.  She was known for taking time to share her talent through various art activities, instruction and special exhibits. 

As a tribute to Louise Wyant, this scholarship was established by her husband, James C. Wyant, professor emeritus and founding dean for the College of Optical Sciences and their son, Clair. 

Eligibility: 

The Wyant Scholarship is open to Ph.D. students with a minimum 3.5 GPA applying to their first year of graduate school. In addition to academic excellence, the selection committee will consider commitment to scholarship, involvement in extracurricular activities and interests beyond science and technology. The scholarship will cover the student’s academic year stipend, tuition, University fees and health insurance, and may include partial funding for summer research.

Photo courtesy of James C. Wyant