Honors

Prizes & Awards

Jesse W. Beams Award 

The Jesse W. Beams Research Award, first presented in 1973, was established by the  Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society to recognize especially significant or  meritorious research in physics, the major portion of which was carried out while the recipient was resident in the SESAPS region. 

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George B. Pegram Award 

The George B. Pegram Award, first awarded in 1971, was created by the Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society to honor “Excellence in the Teaching of Physics in the Southeast.” 

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Francis Slack Award 

The Francis G. Slack Award was created by the Southeastern Section of the American  Physical Society to honor Excellence in Service to Physics in the Southeast. 

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Award Donations

The three awards presented by the Southeastern Section rely on member contributions to sustain them. Many members of the section have made previous donations for the Jesse Beams Award, the George Pegram Award, and the Francis Slack Award.

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2024 Beams, Pegram, and Slack Award Winners

Beams Award winner: Prof. Laura Reina, Florida State University 

Citation: 

"For innovations that yielded precise theoretical predictions used in tests of the Standard  Model at hadron colliders." 

Pegram Award winner: Dr. Robert DeSerio, University of Florida 

Citation: 

“For his decades of work designing, building, and teaching high-quality undergraduate labs  that are used in physics departments all over the US and for developing outstanding advanced laboratory courses that have inspired and influenced the career choices of many  students.” 

Slack Award winner: Prof. Thomas Curtright, University of Miami 

Citation: 

"For expanding and upgrading two major physics departments within SESAPS, at the  University of Florida (1980 -1988) and the University of Miami (1988 - present); and for more  than 20 years of organizing, fundraising, and championing the Miami Conferences (Coral  Gables Conferences), bringing illustrious scientists from around the world in addition to those  in the southeast, including general audience talks and opportunities for students, and nimbly  adjusting to hybrid versions as needed during Covid."

Nominees for and holders of APS Honors (prizes, awards, and fellowship) and official leadership positions are expected to meet standards of professional conduct and integrity as described in the APS Ethics Guidelines. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from consideration or lead to revocation of honors or removal from office.