Current and Former Members Receive Fundamental Physics Prizes

Current Member Shiraz Naval Minwalla and four former Members received major prizes awarded by the Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation on November 5. Both the 2014 New Horizons in Physics Prize and 2014 Physics Frontiers Prize recognize transformative achievements in the field of fundamental physics, and aim to provide recipients with more freedom and opportunity to pursue future accomplishments. Minwalla, a current Member in the School of Natural Sciences, was awarded the 2014 New Horizons in Physics Prize. Minwalla was recognized for his pioneering contributions to the study of string theory and quantum field theory, and in particular, his work on the connection between the equations of fluid dynamics and Albert Einstein's equations of general relativity. Additionally, former Member (2002-03, 2004-05, 2009-10) Freddy Cachazo was also awarded the New Horizons Physics Prize for uncovering numerous structures underlying scattering amplitudes in gauge theories and gravity. The 2014 Physics Frontiers Prize laureates include former Member (1970-72) Michael B. Green for opening new perspectives on quantum gravity and the unification of forces. Other recipients of this award include Andrew Strominger, former Member (1970-72) and Trustee (2003-08) and Cumrun Vafa, former Member (1994) in the School of Mathematics, for numerous deep and groundbreaking contributions to quantum field theory, quantum gravity, string theory, and geometry. The Fundamental Physics Prize committee includes Charles Simonyi Professor Edward Witten, and Professors Nima Arkani-Hamed, Juan Maldacena, Nathan Seiberg, and former Visitor Ashoke Sen (1997-98) and former Member Maxim Kontsevich (1992-93, 1996).