Established on 04.13.2023 by Jerome E. Ostenson '62
Jerry Ostenson knows well the value of scholarships. Raised in Elbow Lake, Minnesota, he left Concordia after two years because he didn’t have the funding to continue.
He eventually returned to the classroom after serving two years in the Army. Majoring in Physics and Mathematics, he expected to become a high school teacher. The fall before graduation, Jerome interviewed with a representative from the Ames Laboratory of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, which was operated by Iowa State University. What seemed like a great opportunity for a practice interview, turned into a job offer and a 39-year career in the lab, that is now operated by ISU for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Jerry belonged to a research group primarily interested in the electrical and magnetic characterization of superconducting materials. He earned his master’s degree in Condensed Matter Physics from Iowa State University and has been a co-author on more than 90 publications, with more than 2450 citations. He was also co-inventor on eight patents related to Physics and Material Science.
The Grant County Endowed Scholarship is awarded by the Office of Financial Aid to one or more students from any class or major from Grant County, Minnesota, and/or the school districts of West Central Area, Ashby, Herman-Norcross, and Brandon-Evansville or successor school districts completely or partially within Grant County.