Loyola names natural and applied science students as inaugural Haig Scholars

Celebrating student achievement and the legacy of a beloved faculty member, Loyola’s natural and applied sciences academic division has designated 23 Loyola students as the University’s inaugural Haig Scholars. The honor comes with the opportunity to participate in the fall in a seminar course focusing on professional development, personal growth, planning for after graduation, and leadership development. 

The students selected are juniors and seniors from all six departments within the natural and applied sciences who were nominated by faculty. Students were chosen based on demonstrated academic achievement, leadership experience and potential, commitment to service, and community engagement. 

The Haig Scholars program was created to honor Rev. Frank Haig, S.J., professor emeritus of physics.

The Haig Scholars are Romie Azor, ’21, Olivia Braganza, ’22, John Carney, ’21, Emily Cebulski, ’21, Delaney Connolly, ’21, Christopher Clyde, ’21, Sabrina Daglish, ’21, Ryan DeVillier, ’21, Taylor Dolan, ’22, Andrew Fallon, ’21, Haley Finley, ’21, Jack Flynn, ’22, Brian Hess, ’22, Katherine Mackey, ’21, Kenneth Marcelino, ’21, Victoria Matos, ’21, Kaytin Matrangola, ’21, Patrick McGinnis, ’22, Elizabeth Mullin, ’21, Matthew Robbins, ’21, Jack Rossig, ’21, Anthony Taylor, ’21, and Lauren Wolford, ’21.

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with exceptional students in the natural and applied sciences to explore how we can combine our studies and passions to meaningfully engage the communities that surround us,” said Cebulski, a statistics and finance major from Reading, Pa. “The interaction and collaboration with peers, mentors, professionals, and community leaders to build connections rooted in mutual commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, and service will form the foundations of a dynamic support system and professional network for years to come.”

The program is a tribute to Fr. Haig, who taught and inspired students at Loyola for nearly four decades. His research focused on theoretical physics, nuclear structure, elementary particle physics, and cosmology. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Academy of Sciences, where he also served as a former president.

Fr. Haig, who served as president of the Maryland Conference of the American Association of University Professors, has also served as the president of Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va., and Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. Fr. Haig, who earned his doctorate in physics from The Catholic University of America in 1959, entered the Society of Jesus in 1946 and was ordained in 1960.

“Fr. Haig is highly regarded by our faculty, students, alumni, and well-respected among the scientific community because of his distinct reputation as an outstanding teacher and an accomplished scholar,” said Bahram Roughani, Ph.D., associate dean of natural and applied sciences and professor of physics. “He is a great role model for younger generations of scholars. Thus, it is very appropriate to celebrate the success of accomplished natural and applied sciences scholars through the new Haig Scholars program.”