Bean

Csáki

Wu

Three professors – representing the departments of Astronomy, Physics, and Biological and Environmental Engineering – have been elected fellows by the American Physical Society (APS).

The criterion for election is exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise – including outstanding physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, or significant contributions to physics education.

Rachel Bean, associate professor of astronomy and director of graduate studies, was elected for her contributions to the understanding of dark energy and her cosmological observations to constrain physics beyond the Standard Model of physics. Her group’s research focuses on the application of astronomical survey data to improve our understanding of the physical origins of dark energy, dark matter and primordial inflation, and how the observations can distinguish between competing theories.

Csaba Csáki, professor of physics, was cited for wide-ranging contributions to theories for physics beyond the Standard Model, from cosmology to electroweak symmetry breaking. His research is in the field of elementary particle theory, aiming to gain understanding of the deepest mysteries of particle physics, including the origin of mass and the origin of different scales in physics.

Mingming Wu, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering, was elected for her research into the biophysical and biochemical drivers that guide bacterial and animal cell migration, and the creation of single-cell analysis tools. Her lab develops microscale and nanoscale technologies for solving contemporary biological, medical and environmental problems.

APS fellowship is usually granted to no more than one-half of 1 percent of all APS members in a given year. There were 248 members elected APS fellows this year, and 102 Cornell professors have been elected since the fellowship was established in 1921.