Astrophysicist and Former Sloan Research Fellow James E. Gunn awarded National Medal of Science
21st September 2009
In an October 7th ceremony at the White House, astrophysicist James E. Gunn, a former recipient of a Sloan Research Fellowship, was awarded the National Medal of Science in recognition of his contributions to the field of astronomy.
Gunn received a Sloan Research Fellowship in physics in 1972 and subsequently went on to become the Eugene Higgins Professor of Astronomy at Princeton University. He has played a key role in the success of the Foundation-supported Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), designing and building the 700 pound camera used by the Sloan Foundation Telescope at Apache Point, New Mexico, the SDSS’s primary survey instrument. With help from the camera Gunn designed and built, the SDSS has made numerous advances in astronomy, including the discovery of large populations of previously unknown “failed stars” and the creation of three-dimensional maps covering more than a quarter of the sky and containing more than 930,000 galaxies.
At the awards ceremony, President Obama praised Gunn "for his brilliant design of many of the most influential telescopes and instruments in astronomy, and in particular for the crucial role those technological marvels played in the creation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which has cataloged 200 million stars, galaxies, and quasars; discovered the most distant known quasars; and probed the epoch of formation of the first stars and galaxies."
Gunn is one of nine scientists and engineers awarded the National Medal of Science this year, the nation’s highest honor bestowed on scientists and engineers. He is the 57th Sloan Research Fellow to receive the honor.
- Read President Obama's remarks at the ceremony recognizing the National Medal of Science winners.
- Read the Princeton University press release announcing Professor Gunn's award.
- Visit the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Web site.
Photo: Princeton University, Office of Communications, Brian Wilson, 2009