2012 President's Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity

March 15, 2012

Koblar Alan Jackson is the winner of the 2012 President's Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity at CMU. This award was created by CMU for peers to select and recognize outstanding senior faculty members for scholarship of national and international merit.

Jackson’s research in the field of cluster physics and nanoscience, specializing in computational condensed matter physics and theory of atomic clusters are, considered critical to improving the understanding of cluster physics. His contributions to the field, including the discovery of shape transitions in intermediate-sized silicon clusters, have been lauded as important for its scientific merit and its potential applications for commercial use. His research, which has been presented at more than 120 conferences and seminars worldwide, has received $1.7 million in grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Prize from the Provost

Tycner recognized for scientific achievements

An assistant professor of physics, considered an expert "in a field that boasts no more than a few hundred members nationally," recently received the Provost's Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity.

Christopher Tycner's research has made him a world expert in the study of hot stars and their surrounding environments, and he has quickly risen to become a leader in using multiple telescopes to obtain highly detailed images of stars.

The Provost's Award recognizes the achievements of CMU faculty members who have less than seven years of experience after obtaining a Ph.D. or other terminal degree. Tycner's career at CMU began in 2007.

"As much as I enjoy interacting with students, it's great to be recognized for what I do outside the classroom," he says. "It signifies that CMU, in addition to recognizing teaching, recognizes research and publishing as well."

Tycner has published 25 papers and articles and has made numerous presentations worldwide. He also has garnered more than $370,000 in research awards over the past seven years, including two grants from NASA.

He earned his bachelor's in astronomy from the University of Western Ontario and his master's in astronomy and doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Toronto.