Physicist Mark Raizen Named Fellow of AAAS

The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society, has named Mark Raizen, a professor in the Department of Physics, a 2019 AAAS Fellow.

Professor of Physics Mark Raizen

Raizen was recognized for his "pioneering contributions to the experimental study of atom optics with connections to chaotic/quantum systems, to condensed matter physics, and in purifying medical isotopes." He joins other leading faculty scientists from across disciplines who have been selected for fellow recognition over the years in honor of their invaluable contributions to science and technology.

Fellows are elected by their peers in the multidisciplinary society in recognition of diverse accomplishments, including pioneering research, leadership within a given field, teaching and mentoring, fostering collaborations and advancing public understanding of science.

Raizen, who will be inducted at a February ceremony during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, developed a laser method of producing one of the world's most costly commodities—stable isotopes. His advance has relevance for cancer treatment, nuclear energy and reducing reliance on outdated Russian technology, and it is the focus of the nonprofit Pointsman Foundation, in which Raizen is a leader. 

Raizen holds the Sid W. Richardson Foundation Regents Chair in Physics and is an alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin, where he conducted his graduate studies under another AAAS Fellow and Nobel Prize winner Steven Weinberg.