JILA and NIST Fellow Eric Cornell and JILA Fellow John Bohn, both professors of physics at CU Boulder, have been awarded 2024 Physics Department Teaching Awards
JILA and the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of Physics proudly announce two 2024 Physics Department Teaching Award recipients: JILA Fellow, NIST Fellow, and Professor Eric Cornell, and JILA Fellow and Professor John Bohn. These awards recognize their exceptional dedication to teaching and their profound impact on students at different levels of their academic journey.
The awards committee cited Professor Eric Cornell as being honored for his engaging approach to introductory physics, which brings the wonder of experimental atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics to the classroom. His innovative teaching methods and dedication to foundational concepts helped students connect deeply with the material.
Cornell, who also won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001, was instrumental in developing courses that educate and inspire first-year physics, astrophysics, and engineering physics students. His collaboration with Professor Paul Beale in designing the General Physics for Majors course was particularly influential, creating a community where budding physicists can thrive.
Similarly, Professor John Bohn was recognized for his outstanding contributions at the physics major level. Bohn's ability to translate complex concepts into accessible learning experiences, along with some humorous jokes, has made him a pivotal figure in the academic development of advanced students.
Both professors were also lauded for their outreach efforts and commitment to teaching beyond the traditional classroom setting. This dedication ensures their influence extends beyond their immediate academic circles, inspiring a broader audience and fostering a greater appreciation of physics.
Written by Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, JILA Science Communicator
The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) program supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group of individuals can enable transformational advances in the most promising research areas. The program is designed to foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics by providing needed resources such as combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups, in an environment in which the collective efforts of the larger group can be shown to be seminal to promoting significant progress in the science and the education of students. PFCs also include creative, substantive activities aimed at enhancing education, broadening participation of traditionally underrepresented groups, and outreach to the scientific community and general public.