Richtmyer Memorial Award

Established in 1941

Named for Floyd K. Richtmyer, distinguished physicist, teacher, and administrator and one of the founders of AAPT, the Richtmyer Memorial Award recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to physics and their communication to physics educators. The recipient delivers the Richtmyer Lecture at an AAPT Winter Meeting on a topic of current significance and at a level suitable for a non-specialist audience and receives a monetary award, an Award Certificate, and travel expenses to the meeting. Self-nomination is not appropriate for this award. Preference in the selection of the recipient will be given to members of AAPT.

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Award Winners

2012

Brian Greene, Columbia University, New York, NY

"Cosmology, Dark Energy, and String Theory"

2011

Kathryn Moler, Stanford University, Gaballe Labroatory for Advanced Physics and Physics

"Quantum Whirlpools: Tiny Vortices of Tireless Electrons"

2010

Not Awarded

2008/2009

Vera Rubin, Carnegie Institution of Washington,

"Rotating Galaxies and Dark Matter"

2007

Alex Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley

"Evidence from Type Ia Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and Dark Energy."

2006

Neil Ashby, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO,

"Practical Relativity."

2005

Carlos Bustamante, University of California, Berkeley,

"Measuring the Torsional Rigidity of DNA: An Old Problem with a New Twist."

2004

Lene V. Hau, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA,

"Light at Bicycle Speed- andSlower Yet!"

2003

Margaret Murnane, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO,

"Can We Make Atoms Sing and Molecules Dance? Using Fast Light Pulses to Observe and Control Nature."

2002

Jordan A. Goodman, University of Maryland, College Park, MD,

"Neutrinos, Dark Matter, and the Cosmological Constant"

2001

Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY,

"Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Its Use in Nuclear Reactor Regulation"

2000

William D. Phillips, National Institute of Standards and Technology

"Time, Einstein, and the Coldest Stuff in the Universe", Phys. Teach.38 , 203 (2000).

1999

Wayne H. Knox, Bell Laboratories,

"Ultrafast Science and Technology: What an Exciting Time!"

1998

Douglas D. Osheroff, Stanford University

"The Role of Luck in Physical Discovery: A Personal Perspective," Phys. Teach.36 , 133 (1998).

1997

H. Eugene Stanley, Boston University

"The Puzzling Physics of Liquid Water," Phys. Teach.35 , 263 (1997).

1996

Carl E. Wieman, University of Colorado

"Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Ultra Cold Gas," Phys. Teach.34 , 998 (1996).

1995

Joseph Henry Taylor, Princeton University

"Binary Pulsars and Relativistic Gravity," Phys. Teach.33 , 200 (1995).

1994

Sheldon Lee Glashow, Harvard University

"The Unification of the Large and the Small."

1993

Richard E. Smalley, Rice University

"Carbon and the Challenge of Nanotechnology," Phys. Teach.31 , 266 (1993).

1992

Kip S. Thorne, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

"Black Holes and Gravitational Waves," Phys. Teach.30 , 198 (1992).

1991

Larry W. Esposito, University of Colorado at Boulder

"History of Planetary Rings," Phys. Teach.29 , 209 (1991).

1990

Steven Chu, Stanford University

"Laser-Cooled Atoms: How and Why?" Phys. Teach.28 , 141 (1990).

1989

Robert J. Birgeneau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Novel Magnetic Phenomena in High Temperature Superconductors --How Are They Connected?" Am. J. Phys.58 , 28 (1990).

1988

Peter A. Franken, University of Arizona

"Newton's First Law, Star Wars, and AIDS."

1987

Clifford M. Will, Washington University, St. Louis

"Was Einstein Right?"

1986

Leon M. Lederman, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

"Unification, Grand Unification, and the Unity of Physics," Am. J. Phys.54 , 594 (1986).

1985

Gerry Neugebauer, Cal-Tech

"Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)."

1984

David N. Schramm, University of Chicago

"On the Matter of the Universe."

1983

Edward A. Frieman, Science Applications Inc., La Jolla, California

"Fusion From Strange Attractors to Energy Policy."

1982

Karen McNally, Seismological Laboratory, Cal-Tech and University of California, Santa Cruz

"Earthquake Prediction: A Problem of Physical Scaling."

1981

Hans Frauenfelder, University of Illinois

"Physics of Biomolecules."

1980

Edward C. Stone, California Institute of Technology

"The Voyager Encounters with Jupiter."

1979

William A. Nierenberg, Scripps Institute of Oceanography

"Physics and Oceanography."

1978

Sidney Drell, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

"When is a Particle?" Am. J. Phys.46 , 597 (1978).

1977

Michael Tinkham, Harvard University

"Superconductivity: Pure and Applied."

1976

Britton Chance, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

"Optical Studies of Intracellular Spaces."

1975

Riccardo Giacconi , Harvard University

"Progress in X-Ray Astronomy," Am. J. Phys.44 , 121 (1976).

1974

Steven Weinberg, Harvard University

"Progress Toward a Unified Field Theory of Elementary Particles."

1973

Michael E. Fisher, Cornell University

"Critical Points and their Exponents."

1972

Robert B. Leighton, California Institute of Technology

"A Physicist Looks at Mars," Am. J. Phys.40, 1569 (1972).

1971

Edwin Land, Polaroid Corporation

"The Retinex Theory of Color Vision."

1970

Arthur L. Schawlow, Stanford University

"Is Spectroscopy Dead?"

1969

S. Chandrasekhar, University of Chicago

"Some Historical Notes," Am. J. Phys.37 , 577 (1969).

1968

Robert R. Wilson, National Accelerator Laboratory

"Particles, Accelerators, and Society," Am. J. Phys.36 , 490 (1968).

1967

R.H. Dicke, Princeton University

"Gravitation and Cosmic Physics," Am. J. Phys.35 , 559 (1967).

1966

Murray Gell-Mann, California Institute of Technology

"The Spectrum of Baryon and Meson States."

1965

William M. Fairbank, Stanford University

"Near Zero A Frontier of Physics."

1964

Fred Hoyle, Cambridge University

"Massive Objects in Astrophysics and General Relativity."

1963

W.K.H. Panofsky, Stanford University

"Photon and Electron High-Energy Physics: Present and Future," Am. J. Phys.32 , 409 (1963).

1962

T. Gold, Cornell University

"The Arrow of Time," Am. J. Phys.30 , 403 (1962).

1961

William A. Fowler, California Institute of Technology

"Deuteronomy: The Synthesis of Deuterons and Other Light Nuclei during the Early History of the Solar System," Am. J. Phys.29 , 393 (1961).

1960

James A. Van Allen, State University of Iowa

"Physics in Space."

1959

Charles H. Townes, Columbia University

"Masers and Their Applications."

1958

Philip Morrison, Cornell University

"The Approximate Nature of Physical Symmetries."

1957

Emilio Segre, University of California

"Antinucleons," Am. J. Phys.25 , 363 (1957).

1956

Walter H. Brattain, Bell Telephone Laboratories

"Development of Concepts in Semi-Conductor Research," Am. J. Phys.24 , 421 (1956).

1955

Eugene P. Wigner, Princeton University

"On the Development of the Compound Nucleus Model," Am. J. Phys.23 , 371 (1955).

1954

John A. Wheeler, Princeton University

"Fields and Particles."

1953

Edward M. Purcell, Harvard University

"Nuclear Magnetism."

1952

Enrico Fermi, University of Chicago

"Large Cyclotron Research at the University of Chicago."

1951

John C. Slater, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"The Electron Theory of Solids," Am. J. Phys.19 , 368 (1951).

1950

John H. Van Vleck, Harvard University

"Landmarks in the Theory of Magnetism," Am. J. Phys.18 , 495 (1950).

1949

Lee A. DuBridge, California Institute of Technology

"The Effects of World War II on the Science of Physics," Am. J. Phys.17 , 273 (1949).

1948

Homer L. Dodge, Norwich University

"New Frontiers," Am. J. Phys.16 , 209 (1948).

1947

J.R. Oppenheimer, University of California

"The Present Status of Atomic Physics."

1946

Paul E. Klopsteg, Northwestern University

"Technological Research in the University," Am. J. Phys.14 , 165 (1946).

1945

I.I. Rabi, Columbia University

"Radio-Frequency Spectroscopy."

1944

Karl K. Darrow, Columbia University

"The Future of Physics, Past and Present," Am. J. Phys.12 , 55 (1944).

1942

Gordon Ferris Hull, Dartmouth College

"The New Spirit in American Physics," Am. J. Phys.11 , 23 (1943).

1941

Arthur H. Compton, University of Chicago

"War Problems of the Physics Teacher," Am. J. Phys.10 , 92 (1942).