Jesse W. Beams Award
The Jesse W. Beams Research Award, first awarded in 1973, was established by the Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society to recognize especially significant or meritorious research in physics, the majority of which was carried out while the recipient was resident in the twelve-state/territory region of the Southeast. The award is named after Jesse Wakefield Beams, a remarkably broad and productive experimental physicist who received his Ph.D. and spent most of his career at the University of Virginia. His many outstanding contributions to physics research include the construction of the first electron linear accelerator, developing the magnetic ultracentrifuge with many practical applications in both the physical and biological sciences, and improving the Cavendish technique for determining the gravitational constant. He served as president of the American Physical Society in 1958 and received the National Medal of Science in 1967. The Beams Award honors those whose research led to the discovery of new phenomena or states of matter, provided fundamental insights into physics, or involved the development of experimental or theoretical techniques that enabled others to make key advances in physics, and the contributions of the award recipient should have received the critical acclaim of peers nationally and internationally.
Nomination Information
Nominations should be submitted through the following online form by August 22nd, 2025: https://forms.gle/RuhZYsc5rEyiYc736. A complete nomination consists of a CV, a nominating letter, a citation, and up to three supporting letters (a maximum of two pages each). At least one of the letters should be from an institution other than the nominee’s home institution. No other supporting documents are required, though they may be included. We particularly encourage you to consider nominating qualified women and candidates from historically underrepresented groups. Nominations will remain active for three years, although updating materials for candidates not selected in a prior year is encouraged.
For any questions, please contact Vice Chair Rosa Tamara Branca at rtbranca@unc.edu.
A list of past winners is included below.