Hunter Double Alum Mildred Dresselhaus to Receive Kavli Award for Scientific Achievement

Prizewinning scientist and double Hunter alumna Mildred S. Dresselhaus has won yet another highly regarded award-the Kavli Prize, given to scientists whose work has significantly advanced knowledge in their fields. One of seven 2012 Kavli Prizewinners, Dr. Dresselhaus is being honored for her "pioneering contributions to the field of nanotechnology"-the study of ultra-small structures, materials, and devices.  The prizes are co-sponsored by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Kavli Foundation (U.S.), and the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and will be presented in September by King Harald of Norway.

Earlier this year Dr. Dresselhaus-who is a graduate of Hunter College High School as well as the College (BA '51)-received the Enrico Fermi Award from President Obama. She received the Fermi, which is one of the government's oldest and most prestigious awards, for her contributions to science policy, her work in science education, and her highly original research. (Click this link for more on Dr. Dresselhaus's Fermi Award.)

Dresselhaus has also won the U.S. Medal of Science and 23 honorary doctorates. A professor of physics and electrical engineering at MIT, she has been chair of the governing body of the American Institute of Physics, president of the American Physical Society, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and director of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. In addition to her research accomplishments, she is widely recognized as having devoted considerable energy to mentoring students and promoting progress on gender equity. She earned her MA from Radcliffe and her PhD from the University of Chicago.