Robbert Dijkgraaf Awarded Inaugural Iris Medal for Excellent Science Communication

Robbert Dijkgraaf, IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor, has been awarded the inaugural Iris Medal for Excellent Science Communication.

The prize recognizes Dijkgraaf's tireless efforts to communicate the importance and beauty of science to society, his ability to explain difficult concepts in a way that his listeners can understand, and his ability to combine logic with boundless imagination, among other things.

Dijkgraaf received the award Monday, October 7, at the Evening of Science & Society in the Ridderzaal in The Hague, given by Ingrid van Engelshoven, Minister of Education, Culture, and Science, in the presence of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander.

The Iris Medal for Excellent Science Communication was created in 2019 by the three science museums supported by the Dutch state: NEMO Science Museum, Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, and Teylers Museum. The prize is financially supported by the Royal Dutch Society of Sciences and the Association of Universities in the Netherlands, and is under the auspices of the foundation The Evening of Science & Society. The honor is accompanied by a prize of ten thousand euros, made available by the Royal Holland Society of Sciences, and a medal, made by Jennifer Hoes.

Read more at Rijksmuseum Boerhaave.