91社区 student and member of the U.S. Army Reserve Stephanie Bauman is among 60 U.S. military service veterans and military spouses from across the nation named today by the Pat Tillman Foundation. Bauman, a senior pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physics, was awarded an $11,000 scholarship to complete her degree.
The Tillman Foundation recognizes individuals for their military service, leadership and academic excellence. This year鈥檚 group will receive over $1.3 million in scholarships to pursue higher education and continue their service in the fields of medicine, law, business, policy, technology, science, education and the arts.
鈥淪tephanie has had an accomplished career in the Army Reserve that demonstrates the leadership, honor, dedication and sacrifice for country that Pat Tillman exemplified in service,鈥� Larry Braue, director of the USF Office of Veteran Success and retired U.S. Army veteran, said. 鈥淎s a Tillman University partner, we are thrilled to count Stephanie as the 17th scholar in our cohort of Tillman Military Scholars at USF.鈥�
With a strong desire for challenging life experiences, Bauman enlisted as a civil affairs operator in the Army Reserve in 1998 after graduating college with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in legal studies. She avoided commissioning as an officer in order to gain experience as an enlisted soldier, which prepared her for a deployment to the Horn of Africa in 2003. During a deployment to Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011, Bauman served as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot in a medical evacuation company, risking her life selflessly to save others. Bauman remains active in the Army Reserve as tactical operations program manager and aeromedical evacuation pilot.
Bauman鈥檚 passion for physics was ignited early in 2015 after reading 鈥淎lice in Quantumland鈥� by Robert Gilmore, leading her to enroll at USF, where she excels both inside and outside the classroom. During a seven-week research internship at MIT鈥檚 Materials Processing Center, Bauman鈥檚 passion became further focused when she learned that the production of bricks and other building materials are among the most wasteful, polluting and energy intensive processes in the world.
鈥淎s a physics researcher, I hope to put my education, skills and experiences to work in materials science to improve the lifecycle sustainability of building materials in order to help protect future generations by preserving the environment,鈥� Bauman said. 鈥淭hanks to the generosity of the Tillman Foundation, I will have the financial support to pursue this goal.鈥�
USF is consistently ranked as one of the most veteran-friendly schools in the nation and is currently the top ranked public college by .
For more information about USF鈥檚 Office of Veteran Success visit www.usf.edu/veterans.
About the Pat Tillman Foundation
In 2002, Pat Tillman proudly put his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals on hold
to serve his country. Family and friends established the Pat Tillman Foundation following
Pat鈥檚 death in April 2004 while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan.
The Pat Tillman Foundation unites and empowers remarkable military veterans and spouses
as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond
self. The fellowship program supports Tillman Scholars with academic scholarships,
a national network, and professional development opportunities, so they are empowered
to make an impact in the world. For more information on the Pat Tillman Foundation
and the impact of the Tillman Scholars, visit PatTillmanFoundation.org.