Newswise — Beijing, China & Stony Brook, NY, January 23, 2017 -- Professor Alexander Zamolodchikov became the inaugural Chen Ning Yang – Wei Deng Endowed Chair in Physics and Astronomy for Stony Brook University on January 6 at an investiture ceremony in Beijing, China at the global headquarters of Bright Ocean’s Corporation. A pioneer in modern theoretical physics and member of the National Academy of Sciences, Prof. Zamolodchikov is known internationally for his contributions to the study of condensed matter physics, conformal field theory and string theory. His impact on the field of physics can be measured by a simple metric: 18,000 -- the number of times his published research has been cited; one of the highest in physics to date.
“Endowed faculty are critical to top public research universities as a means of attracting and retaining scholars at the forefront of their fields,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. “Thanks to the vision and generosity of Deng Wei, PhD, Dr. Yang’s decorated past and affiliation with Stony Brook will continue to be a catalyst for new research and innovation and inspire and influence the future of physics.
“For his outstanding contributions to the field of physics and the distinction and honor he brings to Stony Brook, it is my privilege to welcome Dr. Zamolodchikov to the Stony Brook research community.”
The Chair was established through the generosity of Dr. Wei Deng, the founder and chairman of Bright Oceans Corporation, a high-tech industrial group in China. Dr. Wei Deng was inspired to honor Chen Ning Yang’s scientific legacy as one of China’s most venerated scientists, recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics and the first director of Stony Brook’s Institute of Theoretical Physics — now the C. N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics.
“The C.N. Yang – Wei Deng Endowed Chair is expected to help Stony Brook University transform their research achievements into actual benefits,” Deng Wei told the Xinhua Net Press, “Which will better serve people all over the world, including the people in China and America.”
“I take it as an extraordinary honor to accept the position associated with the name of C.N. Yang, whose status in theoretical physics is nothing short of legendary,” Dr. Zamolodchikov said. “Dr. Yang’s groundbreaking ideas constitute the basis of many central developments in contemporary Theoretical Physics, and I am especially proud that my work contributed somewhat to further developments of some of those ideas.” About Alexander ZamolodchikovBorn in Novo-Ivankovo, now part of Dubna, Prof. Zamolodchikov earned a M.Sc. in nuclear engineering (1975) from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, a Ph.D. in physics from the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (1978). He joined the research staff of Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics (1978) where he got an honorary doctorate (1983). He co-authored the famous paper Infinite conformal symmetry in two-dimensional quantum field theory,[1] with Alexander Polyakov and Alexander Belavin. Prof. Zamolodchikov joined Rutgers University in 1990 where he co-founded Rutgers New High Energy Theory Center, and was named Board of Governors Professor in 2005. In 2017, he was invested as the inaugural holder of the C. N. Yang/Wei Deng Chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and C. N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University. He is the twin brother of the late Alexei Zamolodchikov (1952–2007), also a noted physicist.
About Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook University is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish. Since its founding in 1957, this young university has grown to become one of only four University Center campuses in the State University of New York (SUNY) system with more than 25,700 students, 2,500 faculty members, and 20 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Our faculty have earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. The University offers students an elite education with an outstanding return on investment: U.S.News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 40 public universities in the nation. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. As part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University joins a prestigious group of universities that have a role in running federal R&D labs. Stony Brook University is a driving force in the region’s economy, generating nearly 60,000 jobs and an annual economic impact of $4.65 billion. Our state, country and world demand ambitious ideas, imaginative solutions and exceptional leadership to forge a better future for all. The students, alumni, researchers and faculty of Stony Brook University are prepared to meet this challenge.
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