“Wow—I’m touched.”
That, said Arthur H. Rosenfeld, was his reaction on learning he was the winner of the coveted Enrico Fermi Award, the federal government’s oldest award for scientific achievement.
Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission whose career has focused on energy efficiency and savings—and who holds the distinction of being Fermi’s last graduate student—received the honor from the US Department of Energy “for a lifetime of achievements ranging from pioneering scientific discoveries in experimental nuclear and particle physics to innovations in science, technology, and public policy for energy conservation that continue to benefit humanity. His vision not only underpins national policy but has helped launch an industry in energy efficiency.”
The former longtime experimental particle physicist now leads the California Energy Commission’s R&D and demand-response committees and is active in its energy-efficiency committee. Rosenfeld earned his PhD in 1954 from the University of Chicago, and in...