The College of Science is pleased to announce a new scholarship to celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Zhibing Hu, an esteemed Regents Professor of Physics and scientific researcher whose important contributions include findings that lead to improved design and manufacture of glass materials. Dr. Hu passed away in 2012, but his impact on his colleagues and students still lives on: he was known for his insistence that failure is a stepping stone for learning, and for inspiring his students to never give up. The scholarship is called the Zhibing Hu Scholarship and will be awarded for the first time next year.

In the Spring 2018 issue of The North Texan, UNT PhD graduate ('11) Dr. Sreekar Marpu remembers Dr. Hu, who was his PhD advisor, as a thoughtful and motivating professor. He attributes his research and successes largely in part to the mentorship of his professor and describes Dr. Hu as a researcher ahead of his time.

Dr. Hu studied all over the globe, earning his bachelor's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing, and both his master's and doctorate in physics from McMaster University in Ontario. He completed his postdoctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1990, he settled in at the University of North Texas, and was highly regarded as an expert on hydrogels, water-based polymers with applications in medicine and other areas. Dr. Hu also had numerous patents and his many published papers appeared in Science, Physical Review Letters, and the Journal of Chemical Physics, among others. He was a proud member of the American Physical Society and Sigma Xi.

Dr. Hu was known for his passion for helping students. He served as a mentor at UNT's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science; some of his mentees earned Goldwater Scholarships and recognition in the Intel and Siemens science competitions based on their research in his lab. His son, Peter, also attended TAMS and placed sixth in the national Siemens competition.

The ideal candidate for the Hu Scholarship would be a graduate student who is passionate about their studies in physics, chemistry, or materials science, though undergraduates are still encouraged to apply. The scholarship will be awarded on the college level and announcements will be made in the fall when the applications are made available to students.

The College of Science would like to thank the generous donors who made this scholarship in honor of Dr. Hu's legacy possible, including Dr. Duncan Weathers, Associate Professor of Physics at UNT, and Mr. Carl Welch, who was a previous student and research assistant to Dr. Hu. If you would like to contribute to this celebration of Dr. Hu's memory, please call or email Meghan Dours to discuss your gift.