Gordon Jones, the Stone Professor of Natural History and Professor of Physics, was recently announced as the winner of the American Physical Society’s 2021 Prize for a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution.
According to a press release, the APS Prizes and Awards recognize outstanding achievements in research, education, and public service. The Prize for a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution honors “a physicist whose research in an undergraduate setting has achieved wide recognition and contributed significantly to physics and who has contributed substantially to the professional development of undergraduate physics students.”
Jones was recognized “for outstanding contributions to fundamental neutron physics, development of neutron polarizers using optically polarized helium-3, and extraordinary engagement and education of undergraduate students.”
When asked about his award, Jones credited his collaborators including Fred Wietfeldt of Tulane University, Tom Gentile and others at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as Hamilton Professor of Physics Brian Collett, with whom he has worked closely for the past 20 years.
Jones acknowledged the supportive research environment in the Physics Department and said that the enthusiasm of students makes doing research on campus fun.
The APS prize consists of a $5,000 stipend awarded to Jones with a separate $5,000 unrestricted grant awarded to Hamilton. As far as Jones’ plans for the prize? “Equipment, of course!”
