Scholarships and Awards
up to $4,000 per year.
The David and Judi Proctor Department of Mathematics currently supports declared math majors from 8 endowed scholarship and award funds, along with merit awards given to outstanding freshman and senior math majors. Details about each endowed fund can be found below.
Typical scholarship amounts are $500-2000, with several as high as $4,000.
Question: Do I have to be a math major to be eligible for consideration? Yes. However, many engineering and science majors can often pick-up an additional math major with little extra overhead – plus, there are significant post-graduation benefits to this – see here.
Eligibility and Application Process
All interested Math Majors must apply online via the Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub (CASH).
- Application process opens on October 1st for the next academic year.
- Apply to CASH online via the CASH website.
- After completing the College of Arts and Sciences general application, complete the Math Department’s scholarship application.
- Eligibility: you must be enrolled full-time and a declared math major.
- Application deadline is February 1.
Each scholarship applicant will automatically be considered for any appropriate departmental scholarship.
Questions about the application process and eligibility should be directed to the department's Undergraduate Advisor Ryan Oltermann.
Endowed Scholarship Funds
George Ewing Scholarship. This fund was established in 1991 in memory of Dr. George McNaught Ewing, George Lynn Cross Research Professor Emeritus of Mathematics. Dr. Ewing was a distinguished scholar and teacher in the field of applied analysis whose book on the Calculus of Variations became a standard reference in this field. Scholarships are awarded to incoming undergraduate students majoring in mathematics.
Arthur Frederick Bernhart Mathematics Scholarship. This fund was established in 1991 in honor of the memory of Dr. Arthur Frederick Bernhart, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics. Dr. Bernhart was an expert in a number of areas of mathematics, including pursuit equations (for which he was cited in the Encyclopedia Britannica), the five-color theorem and computer applications in graph theory and combinatorics. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1934 (Ph.D. Dissertation Title: The Mechanics of the Top, Advisor: Otto Laporte, Subject Area: Quantum Theory). Bernhart Scholars must be outstanding undergraduate mathematics majors, of at least sophomore standing, who share Professor Bernhart's interests by emphasizing their studies of geometry.
Ann B. Sheldon Scholarship. This scholarship was established at Miss Sheldon's bequest after her untimely death in the late 1960's by the OU Alumni Club of Philadelphia. Ann Sheldon graduated from the University of Oklahoma in the mid-50's with degrees in math and physics, including a master's degree in mathematics. She worked at the DuPont Company until her death.
Pan Scholarship Dr. Pan served as a faculty member of the OU mathematics department from 1953 until his retirement in 1975. A native of Wenchow, China, he received his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley in 1949. He taught at the University of Nanking, China from 1929-1947, and at the University of California at Berkeley from 1947-1953, before joining the OU faculty. Dr. Pan authored three books and numerous publications. He was an authority in differential geometry and is noted for his research in Riemannian geometry. Recipients must be full-time math majors with demonstrated financial need.
Rust Scholarship Established in 2001 in memory of Stanley Rust (1971 OU graduate), by his wife Annie Rust. Recipients must be at least junior level math majors with a minimum GPA of 3.25. Preference is given to students with demonstrated financial need.
Swan Scholarship Established in 2003 by Evelyn Swan in honor of her brother, Frederick B. Swan. All full-time, regularly enrolled Math Majors who maintain a 3.00 GPA are eligible for this scholarship. Preference is given to students with demonstrated financial need.
Awards for Undergraduates
Samuel Watson Reaves Award. The Reaves Award is annually given to an outstanding senior math major. The scholarship award honors the late Dr. Samuel Watson Reaves, who came to the University of Oklahoma in 1905 as head of the Mathematics Department and served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1923 to 1940. Recipients are nominated by faculty in the department.
Nathan A. Court Award. The Court Award is given to an outstanding freshman or sophomore math major. The award is named for the internationally known geometer, Nathan Altschiller Court, who taught in this department from 1916 until 1951. There are usually two awards of $500 given each year. Recipients are nominated by faculty in the department.