February 15, 2005
Media Contacts:
Miriam Satin
Associated Universities, Inc.
(202) 462-1676
msatin@aui.edu
Andrea Gianopoulos
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
(434) 296-0323
agianopo@nrao.edu
RICCARDO GIACCONI TO RECEIVE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE
Riccardo Giacconi and the 100-meter Robert C. Byrd Green Bank
Telescope
Image credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF |
Riccardo Giacconi, very recently retired President of Associated
Universities, Inc. (AUI), will be awarded the National Medal of Science by
President George W. Bush on March 14, according to the White House.
Giacconi, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002, will be honored
for his pioneering research in X-ray astronomy and for his visionary
leadership of major astronomy facilities.
Established by Congress in 1959, the National Medal of Science is the
Nation's highest honor for American scientists and is awarded annually by
the President of the United States to individuals "deserving of special
recognition for their outstanding contributions to knowledge."
"We are extremely proud that Riccardo Giacconi has been selected to
receive the nation's highest award for scientific achievement," said
current AUI President Ethan J. Schreier, a long-term colleague of
Dr. Giacconi. "It is another fitting recognition for an outstanding
scientific career that has enhanced our basic understanding of the
universe," Schreier added.
Giacconi, known as the father of X-ray astronomy, used X-ray detectors
launched on rockets to discover the first cosmic X-ray source in
1962. Because X-ray radiation is absorbed in Earth's atmosphere,
space-based instruments are necessary to study it. Giacconi outlined a
methodical program to investigate this new X-ray universe and, working
with his research group at American Science and Engineering, Inc. in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, developed the first space satellite dedicated to
the new field of X-ray astronomy. Named Uhuru, this X-ray satellite
observatory was launched in 1970 and subsequently discovered hundreds of
X-ray sources. The ground-breaking work of Giacconi and his group led to
the discovery of black holes, which to that point had been hypothesized
but never seen. Giacconi was also the first to prove that the universe
contains background radiation of X-ray light.
Riccardo Giacconi has played a key role in many other landmark astronomy
programs. He was the Principal Investigator for the Einstein Observatory,
the first imaging X-ray observatory, and led the team that proposed the
current Chandra X-ray Observatory. He became the first director of the
Space Telescope Science Institute, responsible for conducting the science
program of the Hubble Space Telescope. He later moved to Germany to
become Director-General of the European Southern Observatory (ESO),
building the Very Large Telescope, an array of four 8-meter telescopes in
Chile. While Director-General of ESO, Giacconi initiated a new cooperative
program between the United States, ESO, and Canada to develop and build a
large array of antennas for radio astronomy, the Atacama Large Millimeter
Array (ALMA), in northern Chile.
Giacconi was President of AUI from 1999 to 2004, managing the world-class
National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), an astronomical research
facility of the National Science Foundation. During his tenure, Giacconi's
scientific vision dramatically advanced the observatory's capabilities.
NRAO began the construction of ALMA in Chile and also the Expansion of the
Very Large Array (EVLA) in New Mexico, opening new scientific frontiers
across the entire radio spectrum.
"I am delighted that Riccardo Giacconi has received this recognition,"
said NRAO Director Fred K.Y. Lo. "The value and impact of the
multi-wavelength astronomy which he enabled has been nothing short of
revolutionary. This honor recognizes Giacconi's contributions to astronomy
and the broader scientific community."
Dr. Giacconi is currently a University Professor at Johns Hopkins
University in Baltimore, and remains a Distinguished Advisor to the
Trustees of Associated Universities, Inc.
Modified on
Thursday, 10-Nov-2005 11:40:46 ESTby Andrea Gianopoulos
|