Carl Wieman

Carl Wieman, long-time professor of physics at JILA, was recently appointed Assistant Director for science in the nation’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. Before assuming his current post, Wieman divided his time between being the director of the Science Education Initiative at the University of Colorado (20%) and director of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia (80%). Both science education programs are aimed at achieving widespread improvement in undergraduate science education.

From 1984 through 2006, Wieman was a Distinguished Professor of Physics and Presidential Teaching Scholar at the University of Colorado, where he was also a Fellow of JILA. He served as chair of JILA from 1993 to 1995. While at the University of Colorado and JILA, Wieman conducted ground-breaking research in atomic and laser physics. Together with Eric Cornell, he led the research team that created the new form of matter known as a “Bose-Einstein condensate” in 1995. Wieman and Cornell won the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery.

In recent years, Wieman shifted his focus from physics research to research and innovations for improving science education. He was the founding Chair of the National Academy of Sciences Board on Science Education. He was also instrumental in the launch of the journal Physical Review Special Topics — Physics Education Research, which is sponsored by the American Physical Society (APS), the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the APS Form on Education. The journal debuted in December of 2005.

Born in Corvallis, Oregon, Wieman received in B. S. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1973 and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1977.  

Awards

2007    American Association of Physics Teachers’ Oersted Medal for science education.

2004    U. S. University Professor of the Year Award, the Carnegie Foundation.

             University of Colorado Presidential Teaching Scholar

2001    Nobel Prize in Physics

Distinguished Teaching Scholar Award, National Science Foundation

1999-2000      Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar

                          Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics

1999    Schawlow Prize for Laser Science, American Physical Society

1998    Lorentz Medal, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

1997    King Faisal International Prize for Science

             Award for Science, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

1996    Fritz London Award in Low Temperature Physics, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics

1995    Einstein Medal for Laser Science, Society for Optical and Quantum Electronics