Dr. Eldon H. Sund Scholarship

Dr. Eldon Sund received his PhD from the University of Texas in 1959. He then worked for DuPont for the next six years. Having a change of heart and wanting to pursue teaching, he began teaching at MSU in 1967. Sund's main area of research with over 20 publications was the physical properties of heterocyclic compounds. He was also involved in the American Chemical Society, one of the largest and oldest scientific societies, both in the MSU Student Affiliates section and the Wichita Falls Duncan professional section. In the Times Record News, he was quoted as saying,

"You can't be a scientist without being curious. Your brain will atrophy if it's not challenged. The brain is lazy — you have to push it."

Not only did Dr. Sund encourage undergraduate students in his research group, he traveled to local high schools to recruit students into chemistry. Dr. Sund retired in 1995, but he continues to stay active by traveling the world and volunteering at the Wichita Falls literary Council. Former students of Dr. Sund set up the scholarship endowment in his name. MSU Faculty select and award the scholarship to an outstanding Junior chemistry (option A) major.

Dr. Rickey J. Williams Chemistry Scholarship

Dr. Rickey J. Williams, Ph.D., graduated college with a bachelor's of chemistry form TCU in 1964 while also playing football for the Horned Frogs. Dr. Williams went directly into the TCU chemistry graduate program and finished with his Ph.D. in 1968. From 1968 to 1970, he worked at Los Alamos Laboratories in New Mexico followed by a one-year post doctorate position at Baylor University.

Dr. Williams started working at Midwestern in August 1971 and remained until 2002. During his tenure, his research and publications were in transition metal chemistry with a focus on tin related compounds. In 1972, he was awarded a Faculty research grant from the Robert A. Welch Foundation; and, he was one of the faculty that received the first Welch undergraduate research grant in 1984 that has since been renewed to this date.

In 1978, he received the Hardin Award, MSU's most prestigious faculty honor. He was the department chair of CHemistry from 1977 until 1984. As an experienced chemist, he also began water testing for local companies as new EPA regulations were being implemented. This provided a valuable service to local industry, which he turned into a separate and very successful business, North Texas Chemical Consultants, and later sold.

He was also an active member of the American Chemical Society. A comment made about Dr. Williams by Dr. Jesse Rogers, former MSU president, college and TCU classmate,

"He was a brilliant man. I don't think there was a problem he could not solve."

MSU Faculty select and award the scholarship to an outstanding Sophomore or Junior chemistry (any option) major.

Additional Scholarships

  • The Prescott scholarship is for incoming freshmen.
  • The Welch scholarship is for chemistry majors and requires the student to do undergraduate research with one of the chemistry professors. Applications for the Welch Scholarship are available online and from the Chemistry Office in Bolin 307. 
    • Chemistry Options A, B, and C students are eligible for scholarships.
    • Welch scholarships are presented each semester and are renewable so long as students maintain a 3.0 GPA, overall and in their major.
    • The size of the scholarship depends on which major option a student has selected and the number of semesters of research experience. 

Students interested in additional chemistry scholarships need to contact the chemistry department secretary at 940-397-4251 or email chemistryprogram@msutexas.edu.

Giving

If you feel motivated to donate to our program or endowments, we've provided virtual giving below: