Andrew Gemant Award
The Andrew W. Gemant Award annually recognizes the accomplishments of
a person who has made significant contributions to the cultural, artistic,
or humanistic dimension of physics. The award is made possible by a bequest of
Andrew Gemant to the American Institute of Physics. The awardee is named by the
AIP Governing Board during the annual spring meeting based on the recommendation
of an outside Selection Committee appointed by the Institute's Board Chairman.
The awardee:
- is invited to deliver a public lecture in a suitable forum
- receives a $5,000 cash award
- is asked to designate an academic
institution to receive a grant of $3,000 to further the public communication
of physics
Current Gemant Award winner
The 2007 Andrew W. Gemant Award is presented to Andrew Fraknoi (of Foothill College in Los Altos,
California and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific) for
more than thirty years of effectively communicating his deep understanding and passion for physics and astronomy. His extraordinary contributions as a teacher, a public lecturer, co-author/editor of a syndicated astronomy newspaper column, host/producer of a weekly radio show and numerous guest appearances on national radio and TV are a testament to his tremendous breadth. His rare combination of skills has resulted in his being sought nationally and internationally as a spokesperson for physics, astronomy, the history of science and the connection of science to all human activities.
Past Recipients
- Marcia Bartusiak - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Hans Christian von Baeyer - College of William and Mary
- Philip Morrison - MIT
- Freeman Dyson - Institute of Advanced Study
- Gerald Holton - Harvard University
- Jeremy Bernstein, Cyril Stanley Smith - MIT
- Martin Aitken - University of Oxford
- Abraham Pais - Rockefeller University
- Spencer Weart - American Institute of Physics
- Robert R. Wilson - F.R. Newman Lab of CF Nuclear Studies
- Alan P. Lightman - MIT
- Steven Weinberg - University of Texas at Austin
- Stephen Hawking - University of Cambridge
- Paula Apsell - WGBH-TV, Boston
- James Trefil - George Mason University
- Lawrence Krauss - Case Western Reserve University
- Michael Riordan - Stanford University
- Brian Greene - Columbia University
- Alan Friedman - New York Hall of Science
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Criteria
The awardee is chosen based on contributions in one or more of the following
areas:
- Creative work in the arts and humanities that derives from a deep
knowledge of and love for physics
- The interpretation of physics to the public through such means as
mass media presentations or public lectures
- The enlightenment of physicists and the public regarding the history
of physics or other cultural aspects of physics
- Clear communication of physics to students who are learning physics
as part of their general education
Contact Information
Nominations with supporting material (i.e., CV's, articles, book reviews)
should be sent by January 31, of each year, to:
Vice President, Physics Resources Center
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740-3843
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