Edward (Rocky) Kolb

Biographical Summary

Edward (Rocky) Kolb is the Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. From 2013 to 2018 he served as the Dean of the Division of the Physical Sciences, and from 2006 to 2012 was Chair of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics. He is also a member of the Enrico Fermi Institute and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago. Born in New Orleans, he received his Ph.D. in physics in 1978 from the University of Texas, Austin. After a postdoctoral fellowship with William Fowler at Caltech, he was awarded a J. Robert Oppenheimer Research Fellowship at Los Alamos National Laboratory and was a staff member in the Theoretical Astrophysics Group. In 1983 he moved to Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the University of Chicago. With Michael S. Turner, Kolb was the founding Head of the Theoretical Astrophysics Group, the first astrophysics effort at a national high-energy physics laboratory. He served as Head of the group from 1983 to 1993, and again from 1998 through 2001. From 2001-2006 he was the Director of the Fermilab Particle Astrophysics Center.

Kolb is a cosmologist, specializing in the applications of elementary particle physics to our understanding of the universe. He has worked on a wide variety of subjects at the interface of particle physics and cosmology, including astrophysical limits on the properties of neutrinos, baryogenesis, dark matter, dark energy, phase transitions, and inflation. His book with Turner, The Early Universe, is a standard reference in the field. His book for the general public, Blind Watchers of the Sky, was awarded the Eugene M. Emme Literature Award in 1996.

Among his honors is the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics, awarded by the American Institute of Physics and the American Astronomical Society, and the Oersted Medal from the American Association of Physics Teachers. In 2010 he received an honorary degree (Docteur Honoris Causa) from the University of Lyon, France, and in 2012 received the J. Hans D. Jensen Prize Professorship at the University of Heidelberg. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Past service to APS includes serving as a member of the Executive Committee and in the chair line (vice-chair, chair-elect, chair, and past chair) of the Division of Astrophysics. He also served a term as Divisional Associate Editor for Physical Review Letters.

Rocky has served on national committees for the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well as many national and international advisory committees and boards.

Candidate Statement

The pace of physics discoveries has never been faster. The impact of physics on society is as great today as ever. If elected, I will make every effort to make the American Physical Society an impactful and consequential voice of its members.

As Vice-President I would represent all physicists in our diverse organization, those based in industry, national laboratories, research centers, and academia. I will work with the Board of Directors, the APS Council, the Council of Representatives, and APS staff to ensure the Society continues to serve its members and the community of physicists by publishing journals, sponsoring meetings, and representing the field to the outside community.

In the rapidly evolving publishing world, it is critical that the Society’s 13 peer-reviewed publications remain the world’s preeminent journals in which to publish advances in physics. In addition to the traditional journals, APS has embarked on a program of daily news and commentary about advances in physics. These efforts help APS members keep up with ground-breaking results from all fields of physics, and provide less technical explanations for the interested public. I will work to see these activities expanded. Exciting physics results are reported all the time, and often get lost in the noise. While new discoveries cannot be condensed into 140 characters, we must explore every method to reach a wider audience.

Society-sponsored meetings provide members the opportunity to present their results, keep up with advances in their field, and network with colleagues. The large annual meetings, as well as Divisional events, must remain vibrant and continue to be the “must attend” meetings for our community. As a past principal organizer of an April meeting, I appreciate the importance of including new voices and ideas in organizing successful large meetings.

A significant role for the elected leadership of APS is to serve as a voice for our community. Our voice must carry to the general public, to communities that are under-represented in our field, and to the government. I have had the opportunity to interact with Congressional representatives in Washington and our colleagues in federal agencies. In my work as a member of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, I learned that science-based discussion of complicated issues can be effective and reach policymakers.

Science cannot thrive in a society that does not understand, and often mistrusts, the methods and results of scientific inquiry. The responsibility of educating the public is borne by all our members, not only those in academia. I am committed to outreach, and have presented over 200 public lectures throughout the U.S. and in 25 locations abroad. I will work to ensure that APS provides the resources for all its members to participate effectively in outreach.

Since science is international, we must work closely with our international counterparts to carry our voice beyond the boundaries of the United States. Physics extends beyond political boundaries, and also beyond traditional subject boundaries. I see this daily in my field of cosmology and astrophysics. In five years serving as a dean of physical sciences, I supported exciting cross-disciplinary work in which physicists partnered with scientists in other areas of physical sciences, with the social sciences, and with engineering disciplines.

To advance physics and disseminate its advancements we must draw upon the talents and contributions of all people. Our field is not yet as diverse and inclusive as it should be. I will work to expand the Society’s efforts to reach traditionally underrepresented communities. I know from experience as department chair and dean that there is no simple way to increase diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. I also know that progress requires dedication and commitment toward the goal of diversity.

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