The winners of the Beams, Pegram, and Slack Awards were announced at this year’s SESAPS Annual Meeting, at James Madison University, during the Friday's banquet. Their names and citations are listed below. Congratulations to all!
A sincere thank-you also goes to the 36 volunteers who served on the three selection committees and, in less than a month, carefully reviewed 29 nomination packages submitted or carried forward from previous years across all three awards. This process would not have been possible without your expertise and dedication.
As we look ahead to next year’s meeting, we warmly encourage you to nominate a meritorious colleague for one of the SESAPS awards. We also invite you to volunteer serving on one of the award committees. A formal call will go out next year. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to any of us if you have any question!
Jessie W. Beams Award (Recognizes especially significant or meritorious research in physics conducted in the Southeast)
2025 Beams Awardee: Prof. Michael Chapman, Georgia Institute of Technology
For the development and application of novel experimental methods in the areas of ultracold atoms, quantum optics, and quantum information
George B. Pegram Award (Honors excellence in physics teaching at the college or university level in the Southeast)
2025 Pegram Awardee: Prof. Balša Terzić, Old Dominion University
For his outstanding contributions to research mentoring and teaching of undergraduate students from a wide range of institutions, many of whom have gone on to graduate study and full-time positions in physics, for his development of a new major in Astrophysics at Old Dominion University, and for his authorship of a textbook on Relativity and Cosmology for upper-level undergraduates.
Francis Slack Award (Honors outstanding service to physics in the Southeast)
2025 Slack Awardee: Prof. Calvin R. Howell, Duke University
For four decades of distinguished service to the nuclear physics community in the Southeast in various leadership roles, including leadership as Director of the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; for supporting underrepresented groups in science, mentoring students and researchers at all levels, and for serving as an inspiring role model.