In early April, the Breakthrough Prize celebration in Los Angeles, sometimes referred to as the “Oscars of Science,” honored several researchers, including notable figures from Stanford University.
Jeongwan Haah, an associate professor of physics in Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences, was awarded the New Horizons Physics Prize, valued at $100,000. This accolade is bestowed upon early-career researchers who have made significant contributions to their fields. Haah was recognized for his work in mathematical physics, particularly for the creation of a 3-D quantum phase model involving fractons, which could be crucial in future quantum computing developments. Commenting on his achievement, Haah remarked, “Mathematical physics can bring new phenomenology to the table.”
Si Ying Lee, a Szegö assistant professor in mathematics at Stanford, received the Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize, accompanied by $50,000. This award acknowledges the achievements of prominent women in mathematics who have recently earned their doctoral degrees. Lee’s work in the Langlands program and her contributions to the theory of Shimura varieties were highlighted. “Winning this prize was both a validation of my research and a real honor since it is named in the honor of Maryam Mirzakhani,” Lee said.
The prestigious $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to four experimental collaborations representing a combined total of 13,508 researchers: ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb, conducted at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. Stanford’s Lauren Tompkins played a role in the ATLAS project. “The prize is a recognition of the value of this large scientific collaboration; it really does take this many people all working together to study the smallest pieces of the universe,” Tompkins commented. Part of the prize funds will support CERN Society & Foundation’s grants for doctoral students.
This article was initially published by Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. For more information, contact Sara Zaske at szaske@stanford.edu. Copyright Stanford University.
