Wartburg College junior Paul Zelle has been awarded a $5,000 Rossing Scholarship in Physics from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for the second time in as many years.

Zelle is pursuing a double major in computer science and physics. He also is active in multiple music ensembles on campus.

“As a kid, I was always interested in mechanical devices, Rube Goldberg machines and similar things. I also liked watching science documentaries, especially ‘NOVA.’ In addition to this, I enjoyed the science classes I took in school and started to particularly like the parts involving physics,” Zelle said. “Although I don’t know specifically what I want to study, I am still interested in finding an area where physics and computer science intersect, especially if it also involves music. One line of study I am interested in is looking at neural networks for processing audio, and whether this could incorporate the physics of sound.”

Fewer than 15 scholarships are awarded annually throughout the network of ELCA colleges and universities. The scholarships, awarded to exemplary students in physics, are made possible by the Thomas D. Rossing Fund for Physics Education through the Foundation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

“Paul has a quick analytical mind and he’s done extremely well in his physics coursework so far. To my knowledge, he is Wartburg’s first two-time winner of a Rossing Scholarship. I’m excited to see what lies ahead for him,” said Ben Bousquet, associate professor of physics.