Ursinus Basketball Player's Studies are 'Out of This World'

With classes having wrapped up for the semester, Ursinus College students might have waves on their mind as summer approaches. Physics major and basketball player Jon Ward is one of them, but the waves he's thinking about are bit different, according to a CBS report. Ward will spend 10 weeks in an astrophysics lab in Paris studying gravitational waves as he fulfills his Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU), the report states.

Gravitational waves are "(things) that come out of big astrophysical events such as supernova, black hole, star collapses, stuff like that," Ward is quoted as saying.

The report also quotes Coach Kevin Small, who says Ward “represents the ideal of both Ursinus College and also Division III athletics. The mission, which is truly to develop scholar athletes, kids that excel in the classroom, that really thrive as students."

Ward is also happy to help destroy the notion that athletic success and academic success are not mutually exclusive, according to the report.

Read the full CBS story.