John Holdren Awarded 2026 AIP Karl Compton Medal

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2025 — AIP’s 2026 Karl Taylor Compton Medal for leadership in physics is being awarded to Professor John Holdren of Harvard University and former Chief Science & Technology Advisor to President Obama.

Named after prominent physicist Karl Taylor Compton, the medal is presented by AIP every two years to a highly a distinguished physicist who has made outstanding contributions to physics through exceptional statesmanship in science.

Holdren was chosen by the selection committee “for his scientific leadership in engaging the public and promoting sound governmental policies and key international agreements.”

“AIP is delighted to honor Dr. John Holdren with the 2026 Karl Taylor Compton Medal for Leadership in Physics,” said Michael Moloney, CEO of AIP. “He has advocated for the physical sciences in some of the top decision-making spaces in the world and boasts an incredibly impressive tenure of bridging science and public service for the benefit of society.”

Holdren will receive the Compton Medal, a certificate of recognition and a prize of $10,000. The medal will be awarded at a future celebration at a time and date to be determined.

ABOUT JOHN HOLDREN

Holdren grew up in San Mateo, California. In high school, the books he read about the roles of science and technology in public affairs inspired him to pursue a career at the intersection of science and policy.

Holdren went on to receive Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as a Ph.D. from Stanford University. His first job after finishing his doctorate was with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a theoretical plasma physicist in the fusion energy division, with a security clearance that gave him access to the lab’s nuclear-weapons work, as well.

This experience and others honed his interest in nuclear arms control, an area where Holdren had significant impact later in his career as Chairman of the Federation of American Scientists and Chair of the Executive Committee of the-Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. In 1995, he gave the Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech on behalf of the Pugwash organization.

In 1973, Holdren joined the University of California, Berkeley as an assistant professor with the assignment to anchor a new, campus-wide, interdisciplinary, graduate-degree program on energy and resources.

“The idea was to look at problems of energy, resources, and environment as sitting at the nexus of engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, political science, economics, law, and more,” he said. “And with the help of great faculty colleagues from across the campus — and great students — it worked.”

By 1978 Holdren was a full professor of energy and resources, a position he held until 1996, when he accepted professorships at Harvard in both the Kennedy School of Government and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

In early 2009 Holdren began an eight-year stint as President Obama’s Chief Science and Technology Advisor and the Senate-confirmed director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). He met Obama in 2007 as one of small group of climate experts invited to brief the Senator on that topic.

At the White House, Holdren oversaw an OSTP staff of 135. With that team, and with support from experts across the government, he had a wide range of responsibilities for keeping the President up to date on science issues facing the nation around energy, climate change, industrial competitiveness, national security, public health, and more.

“I’m particularly proud of the work we got done on climate policy, on clean energy options, on re-balancing NASA’s programs across human spaceflight and the agency’s other missions, and on science, technology, engineering, and math education,” Holdren said. “A great example in that last domain was with the Educate to Innovate initiative, which brought women and people of color who are scientists and engineers into classrooms around the country, showing kids what great careers are available to people who look like them.”

As a lifelong science policy advocate, Holdren has expressed concern about potential impacts of recent changes in federal policy and funding that supports scientific research in the US. He warns we should not undermine the role science, technology, and innovation have played for 75 years as indispensable ingredients for advancing the American economy, public health, environmental quality, and national security.

Holdren is a fellow of the American Physical Society, an AIP Member Society, and serves as Harvard University’s Teresa and John Heinz research professor of environmental policy. He joins a prestigious group of science leaders in receiving this award.

“This award is a particular honor because of the list of people who’ve gotten it before me — an amazing list of leaders, including many I’ve learned from,” Holdren said.

ABOUT THE COMPTON MEDAL

The Karl Taylor Compton Medal for leadership in physics was established by the American Institute of Physics in 1957 to recognize distinguished physicists who have made outstanding contributions to physics through statesmanship in science. Named in honor of Karl Taylor Compton for his service to the physics community, the award is primarily intended for U.S. physicists. It is presented every two years and includes a medal, a certificate, and a cash award of $10,000. The award is supported by a restricted/endowed fund.

Previous winners of the Compton Medal have been George Pegram, Karl Darrow, Henry Barton, Alan Waterman, Frederick Seitz, Ralph Sawyer, Samuel Goudsmit, Melba Phillips, Norman Ramsey, Victor Weisskopf, Mildred Dresselhaus, Leon Lederman, Neal Lane, Robert Birgeneau, Helen Quinn, Paul Ginsparg, and Steven Chu.

ABOUT AIP

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, AIP is a federation that advances the success of our Member Societies and an institute that engages in research and analysis to empower positive change in the physical sciences. The mission of AIP (American Institute of Physics) is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity.