In a White House ceremony on 14 March, President Bush presented the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology, the nation’s highest honors for scientific research and innovation. Among the eight recipients of the National Medal of Science are four who were recognized for physics-related research.
G. Brent Dalrymple was honored for “his pioneering work in determining the geomagnetic polarity reversal timescale; a discovery that led to the theory of plate tectonics,” according to the citation. He is a professor emeritus and former dean of Oregon State University’s College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences.
One medal went to Riccardo Giacconi, University Professor in the department of physics and astronomy at the Johns Hopkins University. He was cited for “his pioneering research in x-ray astronomy and for his leadership of major astronomy facilities.”
John M. Prausnitz, professor of chemical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, was recognized...
