Russian Scientist Vitaly Ginzburg, Winner of Nobel Prize in Physics, Joins U. T. Dallas Research Board

RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 8, 2004) – The Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Education at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has added Vitaly Lazarevich Ginzburg, the 2003 Nobel laureate in physics, to its research advisory board.

Vitaly Lazarevich Ginzburg, 2003 Nobel Laureate in Physics

Dr. Ginzburg becomes the third Nobel laureate currently affiliated with UTD. Two Nobel winners are currently employed on the UTD faculty – Dr. Alan G. MacDiarmid, the James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology and professor of physics and chemistry, and Dr. Russell A. Hulse, a visiting professor of physics, science and math education. UTD’s first Nobel laureate, the late Dr. Polykarp Kusch, was a member of the university’s physics faculty from 1972 to 1982.

Ginzburg won the Nobel Prize for his work in quantum physics and his very early theoretical concepts for high-temperature superconductivity and superfluidity. His concepts, which he developed in the early 1970’s, stimulated the discovery of many high temperature superconductors in late 1980’s. He also developed several theories regarding the nature of superconductors, including the Ginzburg-Landau (GL) equations that are the basis of the theory of superconducting phase transitions. The GL equations, which apply to various manifestations of phase transitions in general, have become more important in recent years in very diverse fields including medicine, biology and economics.

Superconductivity is the flow of electric current without resistance in certain metals, alloys and compounds below a critical temperature. This phenomenon is widely used for MRI devices in medical diagnosis. Superfluidity is the frictionless flow of fluids, such as a liquid form of helium, at temperatures close to absolute zero.

In addition to his superconductivity theories, Ginzburg is well-known for discoveries in multiple fields of physics including the study of the cosmos, the fundamental building blocks of nature and the propagation of radio waves which have led to terms such as “Ginzburg galaxies” and “Ginzburg criteria.”

Ginzburg also contributed early theoretical ideas and the basis of the first practical system for thermonuclear fusion to the government of the former Soviet Union during the nation’s development of its nuclear weapon systems.

“Russian scientific geniuses like Dr. Ginzburg played a pivotal role in providing deep understanding of the structure of matter, which led to various technological breakthroughs,” said Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, vice president for research and graduate education at UTD. “Being able to tap into the tremendous wisdom and broad wealth of knowledge of someone such as Dr. Ginzburg – and through him the large cadre of scientific and technological talents of Russia – is a major achievement for UTD’s research board.”

Ginzburg is the former head of the Theory Group at the P. N. Ledebev Physical Institute in Moscow. He is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States as well as the Royal Society of Great Britain. He is an editor of the well-known Russian journal “Uspekhi Phys Nauk,” or “Advances of Physical Sciences.”

The 36 members of UTD’s Research Advisory Board are all major figures in academia, or the commercial and government sectors. The board is tasked with assisting UTD to plan the future of the university’s research, assisting in maintaining a sense of direction and focus in current research and interacting with UTD’s internal council to build a common view of research. Members also provide insight into trends, entrepreneurial activities, government liaison and global outreach.

About UTD

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.