The Ruth and Clifford Smith Graduate Fellowship is open to SDSU Astronomy Graduate Students in good academic standing with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 who have completed at least one semester of coursework at SDSU.
The Ruth and Clifford Smith Graduate Fellowship is competitive in nature and based solely upon scholastic achievement. Applicants must write an essay of no more than 750 words about their interests in astronomy, their career plans, and the extent of their research activities within the SDSU Astronomy Department and at its Mount Laguna Observatory. Important measures of scholastic achievement are GPA, level of difficulty for completed courses, timely pace toward program completion, research activities in astronomy, presentation of scientific results at national or international meetings, and publication of scientific results in national or international scientific journals. Research efforts directed by SDSU faculty that result in scientific presentations or publications are given high weight.
Dr. Clifford E. Smith established the Astronomy Program at San Diego State. Under his leadership, the Astronomy Program grew from an area of specialization in the Division of Physical Sciences to a full-fledged Department of Astronomy, operating Mount Laguna Observatory and offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. After thirty nine years of service to San Diego State, he retired in 1969. In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Smith was named Observatory Director Emeritus, and in 1971 the modernized 24-inch reflecting telescope at Mount Laguna was dedicated and named for him. Dr. Smith was proud of his role in developing the graduate astronomy program at San Diego State into one recognized nationally; he closely followed its growth after his retirement. He and his wife Ruth endowed this fellowship in their estate to assist students working toward an advanced degree in astronomy. The fellowship recipient will have done well in Astronomy and Physics graduate courses.