Leon M. Lederman
May 16, 2006
Many have argued that physics is the “first science” on whose principles rest the basic laws of nature that govern the behavior of all matter. Today the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences honors you, Leon M. Lederman, as an alumnus whose extraordinary scientific research into physics has opened doors to the understanding of the world in which we live.
Your association with Columbia University spanned over thirty years, from your days as PhD student in physics working under the supervision of Nobel Prize-winning Professor I. I. Rabi, to your position as Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics, to your position as Director of the Nevis Laboratories.
During a research career of more than four decades, your research has ranged from subatomic-particle physics and meson studies through pioneering experiments with neutrino beams to the discovery of the third generation of quarks. For your remarkable research in discovering that there are two kinds of neutrino—one associated with the electron and one with the muon—you were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1988 (with collaborators Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger). Since this pioneering work, scientists have used neutrinos as a way of analyzing everything from the structure of the atomic nucleus to the energy level of a supernova.
In 1979 you became Director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, where you supervised the construction and use of the first superconducting synchronotron, the highest energy accelerator in the world. At Fermi, where you now serve as Director Emeritus, you continued your research into subatomic physics and provided an extraordinary facility for other scientists following in your footsteps.
Now, when most people would be in retirement, you have no inclination to rest on your considerable laurels. An avid proponent of education, you have devoted much of your time to a variety of initiatives designed to improve mathematics and science education both in the United States and abroad. In 1989 you were appointed Science Advisor to the Governor of Illinois, in which position you initiated and supported educational outreach programs to neighboring communities. You have also been involved in development through scientific collaboration with Latin America.
In recognition of your exceptional achievements, and for serving as a model for current and future Columbia graduate students, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is delighted to present you, Leon M. Lederman, with the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement.
