RICHARDSON
, Texas ( Nov. 17, 2003 ) – Dr. Russell A. Hulse of Princeton University, the discoverer of the first
binary pulsar and co-recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics, will affiliate with The University
of Texas at Dallas (UTD) as a visiting professor of physics and of science and math education, beginning
in January.
Hulse will be involved with developing
innovative science and mathematics education programs for primary and secondary schools, including
those in several Texas school districts, as well as with developing activities in more informal settings,
such as libraries. Hulse also will continue to pursue his diverse research interests, including computer
modeling and sensor systems for micro air vehicles. Several of these research areas will have close
ties to the education programs Hulse plans to help develop in the Dallas area.
Hulse will become the second Nobel laureate
on the UTD faculty and the third in the universitys 34-year history. Dr. Alan MacDiarmid, who
shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in chemistry, currently holds the James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in
Science and Technology and heads the Center for Scientific and Technical Innovations. UTDs
first Nobel laureate was the late Dr. Polykarp Kusch, who shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 1955
and who served as a professor of physics from 1972 to 1992.
During his appointment at UTD, Hulse will
retain his affiliation with Princeton University, where he is a principal research physicist at the
U.S. Department of Energys Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
It is a pleasure to have this opportunity
to work with UTD to help bring innovative science education programs to Dallas area communities, Hulse
said. I have a long-standing interest in promoting science education through various programs
both within and outside of the classroom. UTD has shown a strong commitment to contributing to its
local communities through such science outreach programs, which is what attracted me to join UTD
to help them make such programs a reality.
The addition of Russell Hulse as
a visiting professor is a source of both pride and excitement at UTD, said university President
Dr. Franklyn Jenifer. Dr. Hulses standing as one of the top scholars in his field will
help advance our growing reputation as a premier institution of research and education, particularly
in technology and the sciences. More importantly, we believe that his interaction with our faculty,
students and the larger Dallas-Fort Worth community will result in innumerable even unforeseen benefits
for years to come.”
Hulse won the Nobel Prize for the discovery
of the first binary pulsar a twin star system that provides a rare natural laboratory in which
to test Albert Einsteins prediction that moving objects emit gravitational waves, as well as
other aspects of his general theory of relativity. The discovery was made in 1974 by Hulse, a 23-year-old
graduate student at the time, and his thesis advisor, Dr. Joseph Taylor Jr., then a professor at
the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, utilizing the 1,000-foot radio telescope at Arecibo,
Puerto Rico. The pair shared the physics prize in 1993.
The groundbreaking discovery of the binary
pulsar ranked by many as among the top scientific discoveries of the 20th Century has
had a significant impact on astrophysics and gravitational physics research.
In 1977, Hulse changed fields from astrophysics
to plasma physics and joined the Plasma Physics Laboratory at Princeton, where he has worked since.
In recent years, Hulse has become deeply
interested in the state of science and mathematics education in the nations primary and secondary
schools. At UTD, Hulse will work with the universitys Science/Mathematics Education Department,
in concert with local school districts including the Dallas Independent School District in
an attempt to determine the best methods for teaching science and math to children.
A native of the Bronx, N.Y., Hulse earned
a B.S. degree in physics in 1970 from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in
Manhattan. He received a Ph.D. degree in physics in 1975 from the University of Massachusetts at
Amherst. After earning his Ph.D. degree, he was awarded a postdoctoral appointment at the National
Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Va.
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
about 13,700 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.