Stony Brook University’s George Sterman, a SUNY Distinguished Professor and director of the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, has received an honorary doctorate from ETH Zurich in Switzerland. This honor is given by ETH Zurich to individuals with outstanding achievements in science, teaching, and practical applications.
Sterman was recognized “for his groundbreaking theoretical research in particle physics, in particular the discovery of concepts and structures in quantum chromodynamics that serve as the basis for the theoretical interpretation of collision experiments and enable precise tests of the fundamental laws of nature in high-energy physics.”
He joined Stony Brook’s Institute for Theoretical Physics—now named after C.N. Yang—in 1979 as an assistant professor and has led the institute since 2001. In 2004, he was named a SUNY Distinguished Professor.
His work has been influential in confirming quantum chromodynamics as the theory describing strong interactions and developing tools used at high energy colliders. His contributions have been recognized by several honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship, an American Physical Society Fellowship, and the J.J. Sakurai Prize in Theoretical Particle Physics (shared with Alfred H. Mueller).
Sterman has taught at advanced summer schools such as TASI and CTEQ, some held at Stony Brook’s Center for Frontiers in Nuclear Science. He is also known for his textbook *An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory*.
“It is my tremendous pleasure to hear the news that Professor George Sterman was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from ETH Zurich, an institution with a rich history in physics,” said Chang Kee Jung, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University. “As an honorary degree recognizes not only the honoree’s contributions to the field of the degree but also to the institution, an honorary degree from ETH Zurich is special even for highly accomplished physicists. As a fellow particle physicist, albeit an experimental one, who had worked on collider experiments, I have deep appreciation of George’s foundational work on Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). We are also indebted to George’s almost a quarter century of exceptional stewardship of the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics as the Director, continuing the legacy of C.N. Yang.”
“This is an honor for the tradition of theoretical physics at Stony Brook, which was founded by C.N. Yang,” Sterman said.
Sterman holds degrees from the University of Chicago (bachelor’s) and University of Maryland, College Park (doctorate), and completed postdoctoral positions at several institutions including University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Institute for Advanced Study.
