2015 Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach Awards

Charles M. Falco, University of Arizona

"For his award-winning "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibition for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (co-curator), and his work with the renowned artist David Hockney on the optical science utilized by the grand master artists; each unique project has made the public aware of the contributions of science to their daily lives."

Background:
Professor Charles M. Falco has joint appointments in Optical Sciences and Physics at the University of Arizona where he holds the UA Chair of Condensed Matter Physics. He received his BA (1970), MA (1971) and Ph.D. (1974) from the University of California, Irvine. His research is in condensed matter physics studying various physical properties of thin film materials grown by chemical deposition, sputtering, and Molecular Beam Epitaxy, and he has published more than 275 scientific manuscripts, co-edited two books, has seven U.S. patents, and given over 400 invited talks at conferences, research institutions, and cultural organizations in 32 countries. Honors include the Alexander von Humboldt Senior Distinguished U.S. Scientist Award, Industrial Research 100 Award, Technology 100 Award, AICA Design Exhibition Award, NAEA Ziegfield Lectureship Award and most recently an invited presentation in the opening ceremony of the 2015 United Nations “International Year of Light.” He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Optical Society of America, and the Society of Photooptical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Full details are at the Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach webpage.

David Elazzar Kaplan, Johns Hopkins University

"For his extraordinarily innovative and effective efforts in public outreach, and in particular for his production of the documentary film, Particle Fever, that allows nonscientists to experience the scientific world and discoveries as they really are."

Background:
David Kaplan is a professor of particle physics at Johns Hopkins University. He received his Bachelor`s degree at UC Berkeley in 1991 and his PhD at the University of Washington in 1999. He is a leader in developing theoretical physics beyond the standard model, including theories to explain the Higgs boson, dark matter, and the cosmological constant. He also leads the effort to finding ways of testing such theories in novel experimental methods. He is an APS Fellow, a Sloan Fellow, and a Kavli Fellow. He has had a significant impact in bringing science to the public, mainly as creator and producer of Particle Fever, the 2014 documentary about the Large Hadron Collider, for which he has won numerous awards, including Columbia University's duPont Award for Excellence in Journalism and the Communications Award from the National Academy of Sciences. He has also hosted science programs on the History and National Geographic channels.

Selection Committee: E. Dan Dahlberg, Chair; Yvan Bruynseraede; Diandra Leslie-Pelecky; Ivan Schuller

The Forum on Outreach and Engaging the Public assumes responsibility for this prize. This important APS prize consists of the Nicholson Medal and a certificate that includes the citation for which the recipient has been recognized.

The prize shall be awarded to a physicist who either through public lectures and public media, teaching, research, or science related activities has
  1. successfully stimulated the interest and involvement of the general public on the progress in physics, or
  2. created special opportunities that inspire the scientific development of students or junior colleagues, or has developed programs for students at any level that facilitated positive career choices in physics, or
  3. demonstrated a particularly giving and caring relationship as a mentor to students or colleagues, or has succeeded in motivating interest in physics through inspiring educational works.

Full details are at the Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach webpage.

Contributed by: E. Dan Dahlberg