Justin Jankunas Doctoral Dissertation Award in Chemical Physics

This award recognizes doctoral thesis research of outstanding quality and achievement in chemical physics. Three finalists will be invited to the APS March meeting to present 24-minute talks based on their thesis research. The recipient will receive a $1,500 stipend, a certificate, travel reimbursement of up to $1,000, and a registration waiver. The two runners up will receive certificates, travel reimbursements up to $500, and registration waivers.

Establishment & Support

Originally named the Doctoral Thesis Award in Chemical Physics, this award was first awarded to Alexander J. White in 2015. It has since been renamed the Justin Jankunas Doctoral Dissertation Award in Chemical Physics. The renaming, established with friends, family, and colleagues of Justin Jankunas, honors his memory and work as a promising young chemical physicist at the beginning of a promising career.

Justin Jankunas obtained his doctorate from Prof. Richard Zare at Stanford in 2013 and then worked with Prof. Andreas Osterwalder at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne until 2015. In this short period he published 19 papers in molecular reaction dynamics until his tragic death in a motorcycle accident in 2015. Justin's family, friends, and colleagues have established this award to encourage and recognize other promising chemical physicists.

Rules & Eligibility

Eligible candidates should have passed their thesis defense during the 12 month period prior to the nomination deadline. The thesis advisor should verify that the defense occurred within this time frame. The nominee and thesis advisor must be members of DCP.

Nomination & Selection Process

Deadline: Monday, September 2, 2024

Nominations should consist of;

1. The APS Prizes and Awards nomination form (nominee’s contact information, thesis date)
2. a summary of up to 1,000 words (12 point font, in addition to figures, captions, and references)
3. the nominee's CV
4. a letter by the advisor, and a seconding letter
5. The nominee and thesis advisor must be members of DCP
6. All candidates must submit a 24 minute oral presentation to the APS March Meeting.

To submit a nomination, please see the Prize & Award Nomination Guidelines.

2024 Selection Committee Members: Eric Bittner (Chair), Andreas Osterwalder, Ignacio Franco, John Doyle (PhD advisor of 2023 Awardee)