Scientists, Technical Innovators Win Medals of Science and Technology

In mid-November, President Bill Clinton conferred the 2000 National Medal of Science on 12 winners and the 2000 National Medal of Technology on 6 winners. The award recipients received their medals at a ceremony on 1 December in Washington, DC. These medals are the nation's highest science and technology honors.

Including the 12 winners for 2000, the National Medal of Science, which is administered by the NSF, has been awarded to 386 scientists and engineers since 1959. Of the winners of this year's award, the following seven recipients were recognized for their work in physics or physics-related research.

John D. Baldeschwieler, J. Stanley Johnson Professor and a professor of chemistry at Caltech, received a medal "for his imaginative development of new methods for deter mining the properties, structures, motions, and interactions of molecules and molecular assemblies, the translation of these advances into practical pharmaceutical and instrumentation products for the public benefit, and extensive service to his government and scientific community," according to the citation.

Yuan-Cheng B. Fung, an emeritus professor and research bioengineer at the University of California, San Diego, was honored with a medal "for his pioneering research and leadership in the fields of bioengineering and aeroelasticity." The citation went on to say that "as author, teacher, editor, and leader, his work and enthusiasm have founded the rigorous study of biomechanics, particularly of the lungs and arteries."

A medal went to Nobel laureate Willis E. Lamb Jr "for his towering contributions to classical and quantum theories of laser radiation and quantum optics, and to the proper interpretation of quantum mechanics." Lamb is a Regents Professor of physics and optical sciences at the University of Arizona. He received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1955 for his discoveries concerning the fine structure of the hydrogen spectrum.

Jeremiah P. Ostriker was recognized with a medal "for his bold astrophysical insights, which have revolutionized concepts of the nature of pulsars, the 'ecosystem' of stars and gas in our Galaxy, the sizes and masses of galaxies, the nature and distribution of dark matter and ordinary matter in the Universe, and the formation of galaxies and other cosmological structures." Ostriker is provost and Charles A. Young Professor of Astronomy at Princeton University.

A medal was bestowed on John Griggs Thompson, a graduate research professor of mathematics at the University of Florida. He was recognized "for his profound and lasting contributions to the mathematical sciences, providing fundamental advances for the study of finite simple groups, the inverse Galois problem, and connections between group theory and number theory."

Karen K. Uhlenbeck received a medal "for her many pioneering contributions to global geometry that resulted in advances in mathematical physics and the theory of partial differential equations. Her research accomplishments are matched by her leadership and passionate involvement in mathematics training and education." She is the Sid W. Richardson Foundation Regents Chair in Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin.

Gilbert F. White, Gustavson Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of Colorado in Boulder, was honored with a medal "for outstanding leadership and scientific contributions to geography and other Earth and environmental sciences, and for helping shape cooperative efforts to assess the nation's floodplain, water use, and natural disaster policies for more than five decades."

The National Medal of Technology, which was established in 1980 and is administered by the US Department of Commerce, was handed out this year to two individuals, a team of three researchers, and a company.

Douglas C. Engelbart was recognized with a medal "for creating the foundations of personal computing including continuous, real-time interaction based on cathode-ray tube displays and the mouse, hypertext linking, text editing, online journals, shared-screen teleconferencing, and remote collaborative work," according to the citation. Engelbart is the director of the Bootstrap Institute in Fremont, California.

Dean Kamen was honored with a medal "for inventions that have advanced medical care worldwide, and for innovative and imaginative leadership in awakening America to the excitement of science and technology." Kamen is the founder, president, and owner of DEKA Research & Development Corp in Manchester, New Hampshire, a company that develops technologies ranging from engines to fluid management. He also is founder of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an advocacy organization that promotes science and technology learning among young people.

A team medal went to Donald B. Keck, Robert D. Maurer, and Peter C. Schultz "for the invention of low-loss optical fiber, which has enabled the telecommunications revolution, rapidly transforming our society, the way we work, learn, and live--and our expectations for the future. It is the basis for one of the largest, most dynamic industries in the world today." Keck is the vice president and technology director of optical physics technology with Corning Inc in Corning, New York. Maurer is a retired research fellow of Corning. Schultz, who had worked as a senior research scientist at Corning during the 1970s and early 1980s, is currently the president of Heraeus Amersil Inc, located in Duluth, Georgia.

The recipient of the company medal was IBM Corp in Armonk, New York. IBM was acknowledged "for 40 years of innovations in the technology of hard disk drives and information storage products." The chair and CEO, Louis V. Gerstner Jr, accepted the award on behalf of the company.