Education, positions, service, and recognition

  • Education

  • BA (1981) and MA (1985) in Physics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, UK – Gonville and Caius College
  • MS in Physics, University of California – Los Angeles (1982)
  • PhD in Physics (Condensed Matter Theory) and Diploma in Mathematical Physics, Imperial College, University of London, UK (1985)

  • Positions held

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics (1985 – 1987), Assistant Professor (1987 – 1993), Associate Professor (1993 – 1998), Professor (1998 – 2011)University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Frederick Seitz Materials Laboratory DOE Program Leader (2002 – 2011), Research Professor (2009 – 2011)
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Anthony James Leggett Institute for Condensed Matter Theory Founding Director (2007 – 2011)
  • Georgia Institute of Technology School of Physics Chair (2011 – 2013) and Professor (2011 – 2018)
  • Georgia Institute of Technology College of Sciences Dean (2013 – 2018), Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair (2016 – 2018)
  • University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences Dean, Professor of Physics, R.E. Boyer Chair in Natural Sciences, and Mary Ann Rankin Leadership Chair (2018 – 2021)
  • Stony Brook University Professor of Physics and Astronomy (2021 – present) and Provost (2021 – 2022)

  • Some service activities

  • Scientific workshops and conferences co-organizer, including in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, Santa Barbara, Aspen, Madison, and Shanghai
  • Lecturer in various summer schools, including Burnaby, Stellenbosch, and Amherst
  • External reviewer for numerous academic departments and government- and university-based multi-investigator research programs
  • American Physical Society: Division of Condensed Matter Physics Member-at-Large (2007 – 2010), Prizes and Fellowships selection committees
  • Aspen Center for Physics: General Member (2006 – 2021), Treasurer (2009 – 2013), Trustee (2014 – 2018), Honorary Member (2021 – 2026)
  • Board Member, Atlanta Science Festival (2015 – 2016)
  • American Association of Universities Arts and Sciences Deans’
    Conference co-organizer (2016, 2020)
  • Board Member, Brookhaven Science Associates (2021 – present)
  • Special Advisor to the Vice President for Research, Stony Brook University (2022)
  • Public engagement: Program coordinator and frequent presenter

  • Some recognition

  • Scholar, Gonville and Caius College (1979-1981)
  • Arnold O. Beckman Award, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1988)
  • National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award (1991-1996)
  • Junior Xerox Award for Faculty Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1992)
  • University Scholar, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1996 – 1998)
  • Fellow of the American Physical Society (2001)
  • Arnold T. Nordsieck Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2005)
  • Fellow of the UK Institute of Physics (2008)
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2012)
  • Georgia Tech Infinity Award (2016)
  • Visiting professor: Universities of Göttingen, Oxford, Colorado, Paris-Orsay, and Shanghai Jiao-Tong