APS News

2019 APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research Awarded to Bertrand I. Halperin

APS Flagship Honor goes to Harvard Physicist for Advances in Condensed Matter Theory

August 10, 2018 | David Voss

Harvard physicist Bertrand I. Halperin has been selected to receive the 2019 APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research for his “seminal contributions to theoretical condensed matter physics.”

Halperin, 76, is Hollis Professor of Mathematicks and Natural Philosophy (Emeritus) at Harvard and an APS Fellow. He is winner of the 1982 APS Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize and the 2001 APS Lars Onsager Prize.

“Bertrand Halperin is a giant in the field of theoretical condensed matter physics,” said APS President-Elect David Gross, chair of the medal selection committee. “His many contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of phase transitions, of low-dimensional quantum phenomena, of the quantum Hall effect, and his pioneering work on the role of topology in both classical and quantum systems have shaped condensed matter theory over the last 40 years, bringing it to bear on the understanding of many experiments.”

The Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research is the largest APS prize to recognize researchers from all fields of physics and is funded by a donation from entrepreneur Jay Jones. Previous recipients were Edward Witten (2016), Daniel Kleppner (2017), and Eugene Parker (2018).

Bertrand Halperin photo
Photo: Harvard University

“Bert is among our most distinguished APS members,” said APS Chief Executive Officer Kate Kirby. “It's hard to imagine someone more deserving of the APS flagship honor, the 2019 APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research.”

The formal award will be made at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on January 31, 2019. In addition, Halperin is invited to give a presentation on his work at the 2019 APS March Meeting in Boston (March 4-8). The Medal is accompanied by a prize of $50,000.

For more on the award visit the APS Medal page.

News Update Archive

View Archive


APS News

Read Current Issue


Recent News Update
Fatima Alleyne Joins APS as Inaugural Chief Diversity and Ethics Officer
APS is excited to announce that Fatima Alleyne, Ph.D., has joined as the Society’s inaugural Chief Diversity and Ethics Officer (CDEO).
Hassana Howe Joins APS as Inaugural Chief Experience and Engagement Officer
APS is delighted to announce that Hassana Howe, a certified association executive (CAE), has joined as the Society’s inaugural Chief Experience and Engagement Officer (CXO).
Task Force Gets to Work Reviewing APS Committees
The APS Board of Directors established a task force, chaired by Peter Schiffer, to assess these committees and recommend improvements.
PhysTEC Announces New 2022 Inductees to The 5+Club
Seven schools graduated five or more physics teachers in the 2021-22 school year, joining the PhysTEC 5+Club.
Harvard Chemist and APS Fellow Shares 2022 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience
Dr. George Whitesides, a Harvard chemist and APS Fellow, is one of four recipients of the 2022 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience.
Productive Scientific Discourse Demands Respect
APS strives to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all those engaged in physics.