Clara Thomann Outstanding Student Citizen

The Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Geology at Macalester College are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Clara Thomann (class of 2013).  Department faculty and staff remember her as a warm and caring person and an exceptional student.  Clara could have followed any path she wanted after graduating, but characteristically she chose to share her gifts with young people as an inspiring and dedicated teacher. 

A partial list of Clara’s many impressive accomplishments at Macalester include: one of the original founders of the Physics and Astronomy Club; a dedicated member of the student-run GeoClub; work as a preceptor for a first year course on astrobiology; TA for introductory Geology courses; research experiences with Macalester faculty in astronomy and geophysics; a semester-long research experience in Chile in the prestigious “Research Experiences for Undergraduates” (REU) program at the Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory; summer research in the Cornell astronomy REU program; and geology field camp in Utah. 

Clara was showcased in multiple stories on the Macalester website about her experiences in astronomy and geology, and she was the author of an article in the inaugural volume of the Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy.  Clara was a wonderful and immensely accomplished person who loved to learn, to explore, and to laugh.  The world is not as bright without her.

To honor and remember Clara, the Department of Physics and Astronomy will give the Clara Thomann Outstanding Student Citizen Award to a graduating senior.