Luther College student named Rossing Physics Scholar

Luther College senior Owen Michael Johnson has been named a Rossing Physics Scholar for the 2021-22 academic year. Johnson will receive $10,000 from the Thomas D. Rossing Fund for Physics Education. 

Johnson, a physics and math double major, says he "feels very honored to be receiving this award." He plans to continue his education after graduating from Luther to get his Ph.D. in astronomy or astrophysics. 

"I hope to one day go into academia. I have seen the positive impacts that a good professor can have on students and I think it would be a job well suited for me because I love teaching." 

The Thomas D. Rossing Fund for Physics Education makes scholarships available annually for exemplary students in physics. Johnson says he enjoys studying the subject because of its fundamental nature.

"It questions the ordinary and explains things we take for granted like gravity and magnetism. I also enjoy it because it can be understood through math which is another subject I enjoy."

Johnson is from Minneapolis and is the son of Kristi and Chuck Johnson. 

The Rossing scholarship is made possible through gifts from Thomas D. Rossing, Luther class of 1950, who created the scholarship fund through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Foundation.

After graduating from Luther, Rossing earned master's and doctoral degrees in physics from Iowa State University and worked as professor of physics at St. Olaf College and Northern Illinois University. Now retired, he is a visiting professor at Stanford University.

Luther College is home to more than 1,800 undergraduates who explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our 60+ academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.###