UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Luc Schrauf of State College, Pennsylvania, will be honored as the student marshal for the Penn State Eberly College of Science at the University’s spring 2026 commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 10, on the University Park campus.
Schrauf will graduate with a 3.97 grade-point average and a bachelor’s degree in physics, with minors in nanotechnology, quantum information science and engineering, and mathematics. Throughout his college career, he was a learning assistant for three courses, a volunteer in the Physics and Astronomy for Women+ PAW Pals student organization, and an elected student senator and student representative for the University Faculty Senate and University Park Undergraduate Association.
Between 2024 and 2025, Schrauf received multiple scholarships, including the Evan Pugh Junior Scholarship, the M. Dean and Jean L. Underwood Scholarship, the Bert Elsbach Honors Scholarship in Physics, and the Barry Goldwater Scholarship. In 2024, he was also awarded an Erickson Discovery Grant. And in 2025, he earned first place in the physical sciences category at the Penn State Undergraduate Research Exhibition.
Schrauf was also involved in undergraduate research in the lab of Nitin Samarth, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Physics and professor of materials science and engineering, where he worked primarily with scanning tunneling microscopy and molecular beam epitaxy techniques. Using MBE, which is the equivalent of spray-painting using a beam of atoms, he made Tellurium-based quantum materials that could potentially function as a platform for harnessing novel superconducting qualities.
Schrauf explained that this research ties directly into his career goals of growing the field of quantum computing and his postgraduation plans of attending Princeton University to pursue a doctoral degree in quantum science and engineering.
“After my Ph.D., I hope to join the effort and help build our first useful quantum computer,” he said. “My primary career goal is to bring quantum computers to life.”
Schrauf added that he was honored to be selected as the Eberly College of Science’s student marshal this semester.
“The college has provided me with so much support during my time at Penn State,” he said. “It has helped me travel to research conferences to present my research and gave me the opportunity to get civically involved in the local Penn State community as well as participate in a short-term study abroad program. This is primarily a result of the unwavering support from my faculty members, mentors, research group, and the support and guidance of my parents.”