Maryland Faculty Gates, Rudnick Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has elected two University of Maryland faculty members as Fellows: Sylvester James Gates, Jr., director of the Center for String & Particle Theory and John S. Toll Professor of Physics; and Department of Geology Professor Roberta L. Rudnick.

"The University is thrilled with the election of Sylvester James Gates, Jr. and Roberta Rudnick to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences," said University of Maryland President Wallace Loh. "They are both leaders in their respective disciplines and their extraordinary talents have earned them the respect of this very esteemed society. I offer the congratulations of our entire community to both of them."

Gates and Rudnick are joined by University of Maryland graduate, Paul Butler '93 (PhD Astronomy), who was also named a Fellow. They are among a distinguished group of 212 new members who join one of the nation's most prestigious honorary societies and a leading center for independent policy research. Members contribute to Academy studies of science and technology policy, global security, social policy and American institutions, the humanities, and education. The new class will be inducted at a ceremony on October 1, at the Academy's headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"I am extremely proud that a graduate and two faculty members of the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences in the University of Maryland have been elected as Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Science," said CMNS Dean Steve Halperin. "Paul Butler '93 (PhD Astronomy) was among the very first discoverers of extra solar planets, paving the way for what is now a major national priority in Astronomy. Jim Gates is renowned for his fundamental contributions to string theory, a key component of modern physics. His contributions to society here and abroad are legion, most recently as a member of President Obama's President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. Roberta Rudnick is one of the county's leading geologists who are unveiling the internal structure of the earth. The recognition of these outstanding members of the University testifies to the impressive quality of our graduate and research programs."

Professor Roberta Rudnick

Rudnick's research focuses on the origin and evolution of the continents, particularly the lower continental crust and the underlying mantle lithosphere. Emphasis is placed on integration of data from a wide diversity of sources, including petrography, petrology, major and trace element geochemistry, isotope geochemistry and geophysics. She also has begun exploring the utility of lithium isotopes in tracing crustal recycling in the mantle.

Acclaimed as a teacher as well as a researcher, Rudnick was praised as both by former graduate student Cin-Ty A. Lee in an a American Geophysical Union citation awarding Rudnick the Bowen Award, given for "outstanding contributions to volcanology, geochemistry, or petrology." She was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in April, 2010. Rudnick came to Maryland from Harvard University in 2000 together with husband and equally-lauded geology colleague William McDonough.

Geology Chair Michael Brown said: "This is the latest in a succession of accolades that Roberta has received for her contributions to furthering our understanding of the origin and evolution of the continents, but I doubt it will be the last. Attracting Roberta to Maryland in summer 2000 'topped off' our push to become a 'top ten' Department in the specialty of Geochemistry. Roberta will take over as Chair this July and will undoubtedly lead the Department to even greater success in the decade to come."

Professor Sylvester James Gates, Jr.

Jim Gates, the John S. Toll Professor of Physics at Maryland, is the first African American to hold an endowed chair in physics at a major research university in the United States.Gates has long been known for his groundbreaking, ongoing work in supersymmetry and supergravity, areas that are closely related to string theory. In 1983, he co-authored the book "Superspace or 1001 Lessons in Supersymmetry," which more than two decades later remains a standard in the field. String theory. Hailed by many physicists as the "Unified Field Theory" that was pursued unsuccessfully by Einstein, string theory is a leading candidate for what is commonly called the "theory of everything." Such a theory could explain the origins of all matter and energy in the universe and may one day form the basis for technologies that we cannot even imagine today.

"Professor Gates is just an extraordinary person," said Physics Chair Drew Baden. "His research is at the very cutting edge of theoretical physics, probing the fundamental structure of nature, looking for exotic connections between string theory and information theory and anything else he can think of.   On top of that, he finds the time and energy to give a huge number of invited public talks on science at all levels, communicating the excitement of science, and working hard to demystify.   I believe that in 2005, the 100 year anniversary of Einstein's famous papers (one that introduced the theory of special relativity), he gave about 90 such talks in a single year! And on top of that, he finds the time contribute to society as a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), advising the President on science policy, and as a member of the Maryland Board of Education."

Gates said "It is a strange, humbling and numbing feeling to be considered among the company of one's own heroes. While I was growing up in the U.S., the names of the founding Academy 'class' including John Adams, James Bowdoin, John Hancock, to those of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Webster, and  Ralph Waldo Emerson loomed like far distant mountain peaks marking  the apex of accomplishment in the United States of America.  So very many of my personal heroes like Einstein and Churchill have been members of this company. I am stunned to be in a class that includes so many accomplished individuals whose work has had such an impact on my life.  It is the highest honor and recognition I have been accorded to be included among this new class of the academy. This could not have happened without the absolutely superb support I have received from the College Park campus.  The election is also a signal of the recognition of the quality of the University."

A list of the new Academy members announced today is located at: http://www.amacad.org/news/alphalist2011.pdf

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