The DeMund Foundation was established in 1947 by the late Herman E. DeMund. Chuck DeMund, his son, now oversees the foundation as its president from his home in Waxhaw, N.C.
The DeMund Foundation has provided financial assistance at universities throughout the country through scholarships and grants for many decades. The University of Arizona is fortunate to be among its longtime beneficiaries, with prior grants totaling nearly a half-million dollars.
With images captured in outer space and the depths of the ocean, Chuck DeMund had already made an undeniable impact on the field of optical sciences and photonics by the time he retired in the early 1990s. His 36-year career with defense contractor General Dynamics cemented his reputation, and his association with SPIE allowed him to make historic contributions to public education.
This endowed scholarship was established in honor of Herman’s admiration for medicine and Chuck’s accomplishments in optics. The foundation aims to give its recipients greater opportunities to work on unique and high-impact research to bring the optical and medical sciences together, with the hope that these scholars will develop exciting technologies that change lives.
The foundation thanks James C. Wyant for his role in helping to make this perpetual scholarship possible.
The DeMund Foundation Scholarship is open to first-year Ph.D. students whose research focuses on the application of optical technologies in areas of medical sciences (e.g., detection, diagnosis, imaging, treatment, prevention, etc.). In addition to academic excellence, applicants should demonstrate commitment to scholarship, involvement in extracurricular activities and interests beyond science and technology.
Chuck DeMund
Recipients
Alana Gonzales
Kenneth Lang
Noelle Daigle
Margaret Allard
Cheng Li
Nachiket Kulkarni
Taliya Gunawansa
Babak Amirsolaimani
Victoria Chan