The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Theory Initiative, a U.S.- based
consortium of theoretical physicists aiming to stimulate and cultivate
new young talent in anticipation of the opening of the Large Hadron
Collider later this year, announces its 2007 LHC Theory Graduate
Fellowship Awards.
Administered by The Johns Hopkins University and funded by the National
Science Foundation, the $40,000 awards - being distributed for the first
time this year - will provide selected young theorists with funds to
underwrite the costs of their research, including travel and computing
needs.
Recipients of the 2007 LHC Theory Initiative Graduate Fellowship Awards
are Randall Kelly (University of California, San Diego) and Jonathan
Walsh (University of Washington). Their research interests include
calculations of higher- order corrections both within and beyond the
Standard Model, as well as the development of new, improved, simulation
tools to confront with data theoretical models.
In addition, LHC Theory Initiative Travel Awards, which provide $3,000
for LHC- related travel, were presented to Dai De Chang (Case Western
Reserve University), Wei Gong (University of Oregon), David Khron
(Princeton University) and Keith Rehermann (Johns Hopkins University).
All six winners are graduate students selected through a national
competition. The chair of the selection committee was Fred Olness from
Southern Methodist University.
*The goal of these fellowships and awards is to stimulate the work of
theoretical physicists who will help interpret the treasure trove of
data that will emerge from the Large Hadron Collider,* said Jonathan
Bagger, a member of the LHC Theory Initiative and chair of the
Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins. *Our initiative
will help the high- energy physics community take full advantage of the
LHC.*
The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European laboratory for particle
physics in Geneva, Switzerland, is expected to begin operation late this
year. With its unprecedented energy and luminosity, the LHC promises to
revolutionize particle physics and our understanding of the universe. It
is expected to create new forms of matter as scientists search for the
elusive Higgs boson and a host of new particles, as well as help answer
some of the most fundamental questions of physics.
*How do particles acquire mass? Can dark matter be created in a
laboratory environment? Do new symmetries of nature link matter, energy,
space and time? How did matter behave a fraction of a second after the
Big Bang? Those are just some of the questions that we believe will be
answered through the LHC,* says LHC Theory Initiative member Lynne Orr
of the University of Rochester. *The ultimate goal of particle physics
is to identify the fundamental principles that govern matter, energy,
space and time. The LHC will allow us to explore this new terrain.*
Bagger and Orr are joined as principal investigators on the LHC Theory
Initiative by R. Sekhar Chivukula of Michigan State University and
Ulrich Baur of the State University of New York at Buffalo.
*In the coming years, we will not only continue to award the Graduate
Fellowship and Travel Awards, but will also award $150,000 grants to
postdoctoral fellows,* Baur said. *The money will allow these young
researchers to pursue their research and to build a network of
LHC- related theorists. We want to create a strong community of young
physicists.*
For more information on the LHC Theory Initiative see:
http://www.lhc- ti.org
The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) announced today that the 2007 AAPT Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching Award has been awarded to Dr. Steven L. Manly, Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, NY. This award is in recognition of contributions to undergraduate physics teaching and awardees are chosen for their extraordinary accomplishments in communicating the excitement of physics to their students.
This prestigious award will be presented to Manly on August 1, 2007, at 11:30 a.m. during the AAPT Summer Meeting at the Joseph S. Koury Center in Greensboro, NC. He will then present the award lecture "Experiences in Collaborative Learning at the University of Rochester—It's All in the Shoes," from 11:35 a.m.-11:55 a.m.
“Undergraduate physics is the bridge between students’ exposure to physics and their embracing physics as their area of intensive study, and perhaps lifelong immersion. So the role of the undergraduate teacher expands beyond that of a classroom facilitator into that of advisor, role model, mentor, and research partner. The AAPT award in undergraduate physics teaching reflects our commitment to undergraduate education and the effect that a single teacher can have in catalyzing learning.” stated Toufic Hakim, AAPT Executive Officer.
Manly graduated from Pfeiffer College in 1982, earned a PhD in experimental high-energy physics from Columbia University in 1989, was a Yale faculty member from 1990 to 1998 before moving to his current position. His research interests are high energy, nuclear, and gravitational physics, with a focus on the nature of matter and the fundamental forces of nature.
Manly has published more than 150 articles in scientific journals. His efforts in the classroom have focused on large introductory physics courses for both physics and non-physics majors. In 2003, he was named NY State Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and was the Mercer Brugler Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Rochester from 2002 to 2005.
Since arriving at Rochester, Manly has adopted proven group learning techniques to support his courses and then worked with other faculty in order to institutionalize the use of these techniques in the introductory physics curriculum. Beyond that, he created a taskforce of innovative faculty members in physics and other departments to support and institutionalize the use of group learning techniques throughout the College, particularly in the sciences.
Regarding the award, Manly said, “The physics community, embodied by the AAPT, is populated with many talented and innovative teachers who are quite engaged with all aspects of physics education. I view this award springing from such a community.”
About AAPT
AAPT is the leading organization for physics educators—with more than 10,000 members worldwide. Our mission is to advance the greater good through physics education. We provide our members with many opportunities for professional development, communication, and student enrichment. We serve the larger community through a variety of programs and publications. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.
For More Information
AAPT Summer Meeting Featured Speakers:
http://www.aapt.org/Events/SM2007/sm07speakers.cfm
Or Contact Robert Merz, Marketing Manager
media@aapt.org
1-301-209-3307
1-301-209-0845 (Fax)
http://www.aapt.org
New Haven, Conn. — Yale biophysicist Thomas A. Steitz has received one of the four 2007 Gairdner International Awards, among the most prestigious awards in science, for his groundbreaking work on the structure and function of the large subunit of the ribosome and the structural basis for the action of antibiotics that target the ribosome.
"The 2007 awards reflect the importance of basic discoveries that lead to a better understanding of human disease and the development of treatments and cures to alleviate them," said John Dirks, President and Scientific Director of the Gairdner Foundation.
Thomas A. Steitz, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Harry F. Noller of the University of California at Santa Cruz were honored for their studies on the structure and function of the ribosome, demonstrating that a step in bacterial protein synthesis is an RNA-catalyzed reaction. This step is inhibited by many antibiotics, and understanding the structural basis of the function points the way to the development of new antibiotics.
"A major health consequence of the increasing number of antibiotic resistant bacteria is that two million people every year get infections from them in hospital facilities — and 90,000 per year die from them," said Steitz.
His close collaboration with Yale faculty colleague, Peter Moore and interactions with William Jorgenson led to the establishment of a company, Rib-X Pharmaceutical, Inc., which is using this knowledge of the structures of the large ribosomal subunit and its antibiotic complexes to create new classes of antibiotics. In just five years, Rib-X, has moved one potential compound into Phase II clinical trials and hope that shortly others will enter the Phase I trials pipeline.
Two additional investigators were honored by the Gairdner Foundation honored for their work in cell biology. C. David Allis of The Rockefeller University discovered the histone code hypothesis, a universal mechanisms for modifications in histone proteins that affect stability of the genome and gene transcription. Kim A. Nasmyth of Oxford University made a series of discoveries pinpointing mechanisms in cell division that are essential to life.
The Gairdner Foundation was established in 1957 by Toronto businessman James A. Gairdner, a successful stockbroker and industrialist. His lifelong practical interest in clinical medicine and medical research led to a conviction that the achievements of medical scientists should be acknowledged in a tangible way.
Since 1959, the Gairdner International Awards have recognized extraordinary accomplishment in medical science; they are acknowledgements of achievement, rather than grants for the support of future research. The awards honor outstanding contributions by medical scientists worldwide whose work will significantly improve the quality of life. Of the 283 Gairdner winners, 68 have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.
As part of the Gairdner's mandate to communicate the work of medical researchers, each October, Gairdner winners visit universities across Canada and present academic lectures on their area of expertise. Each prize carries a cash award of $CDN 30,000 (about $26,700).
Since 2003, the lead national sponsor of the Gairdner awards has been the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the major federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada that supports the work of 10,000 researchers in universities, teaching hospitals and research institutes across Canada.
Three additional Yale faculty members have received Gairdner International Awards in the recent past. In 2006, Joan Steitz, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, was honored for her work on small nuclear RNAs in gene expression. That same year Thomas Pollard, M.D., Sterling Professor and Chair of Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology was recognized for discoveries about the cell's cytoskeleton, and the basis of cell motility and its relevance to human disease. In 2004, Arthur Horwich, M.D., Higgins Professor of Genetics and Pediatrics was cited for his discoveries about protein folding in the cell and its relevance to neurodegeneration.
WASHINGTON -- The National Academy of Sciences today announced the election of 72 new members and 18 foreign associates from 12 countries in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
The election was held this morning during the business session of the 144th annual meeting of the Academy. Those elected today bring the total number of active members to 2,025. Foreign associates are nonvoting members of the Academy, with citizenship outside the United States. Today's election brings the total number of foreign associates to 387.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use for the general welfare. It was established in 1863 by a congressional act of incorporation signed by Abraham Lincoln that calls on the Academy to act as an official adviser to the federal government, upon request, in any matter of science or technology.
Additional information about the Academy and its members is available online at http://www.nasonline.org.
Newly elected members and their affiliations associated with the subject fields of the member societies connected to the American Institute of Physics are:
ACUÑA, Mario H.; senior astrophysicist and project scientist, International Solar Terrestrial Physics Program, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
AGARD, David A.; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor, department of biochemistry and biophysics, University of California , San Francisco
ATWATER, Brian F.; geologist, western earthquake hazards team, U.S. Geological Survey, and affiliate professor, department of earth and space sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
AWSCHALOM, David D.; professor of physics and of electrical and computer engineering, department of physics, University of California , Santa Barbara
BAWENDI, Moungi G.; professor of chemistry and Keck Professor of Energy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
BELL , C. Gordon; senior researcher, Microsoft Bay Area Research Center, San Francisco
BLOCK, Steven M.; professor of applied physical and biological sciences, Stanford University , Stanford , Calif.
BRYANT, Robert L.; J.M. Kreps Professor, department of mathematics, Duke University , Durham , N.C.
CANFIELD, Donald E.; professor of ecology, Institute of Biology , and director, Nordic Center for Earth Evolution, University of Southern Denmark , Odense
CLARK, Noel; professor, department of physics, University of Colorado , Boulder
DRAINE, Bruce T.; professor, department of astrophysical sciences, Princeton University , Princeton , N.J.
EMANUEL, Kerry A.; Breene M. Kerr Professor, program in atmospheres, oceans, and climate, department of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
FALKOWSKI, Paul G.; professor, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences and department of geological sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick
GABRIELSE, Gerald; Leverett Professor of Physics, Harvard University , Cambridge , Mass.
GOLDMAN, Allen M.; Institute of Technology Professor of Physics, and head, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis
JOHNSON, William L.; Ruben and Donna Mettler Professor of Materials Science, Engineering, and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
LIBCHABER, Albert J.; professor of physics, The Rockefeller University, New York City
MICALI, Silvio; professor, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
MORGAN, M. Granger; university professor and head, department of engineering and public policy, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh
OLSON, Peter L.; professor of geophysical fluid dynamics, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore
RICHMOND, Timothy J.; professor, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
SCHILLER, Peter H.; professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
SPERGEL, David N.; professor, department of astrophysical sciences, Princeton University , Princeton , N.J.
SREENIVASAN, Katepalli R.; Martin Professor of Engineering and distinguished university professor, University of Maryland , College Park
STARK, Harold M.; professor of mathematics, University of California , San Diego
WILL, Clifford M.; James S. McDonnell Professor of Physics, Washington University , St. Louis
WISE, Mark B.; John A. McCone Professor of High Energy Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Newly elected foreign associates, their affiliations at the time of election, and their country of citizenship are:
ASKONAS, Brigitte A.; visiting professor, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London ( United Kingdom )
DELIGNE, Pierre; professor, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton , N.J. ( Belgium )
GRANT, Peter R.; professor, Princeton University , Princeton , N.J. ( United Kingdom )
IIJIMA, Sumio; professor, department of materials science and engineering, Meijo University , Nagoya ( Japan )
ITO, Masao; director, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama ( Japan )
KINGMAN, John; director, Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge , Cambridge , England ( United Kingdom )
LI, Aizhen; Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shanghai (People's Republic of China )
WHITE, Simon D.M.; director, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching, Germany ( United Kingdom )
WOODMAN, Ronald F.; executive president, Geophysical Institute of Peru, Mayorazgo ( Peru )
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