President Bill Clinton recently gave Physics and Astronomy Professeor Marcelo Gleiser a Presidential Faculty Fellow Award in recognition of his teaching and research in theoretical physics.
"Imagine that the matter of the universe, the whole matter that makes all the stars and the galaxies, was compressed on a size of more or less a dime." This is how Gleiser describes the creation of the universe.
Gleiser was one of 15 scientists selected to receive the award, which is given annualy to 15 scientists and 15 engineers. It recognizes young faculty members who have demonstrated excellence and promise in teaching and either science or engineering.
For receiving the PFF Award, Gleiser will be appointed as an adviser to the government and as a representative of the nation's college and university faculty.
In addition, Gleiser will receive a $100,000-a-year grant from the National Science Foundation for five years, to be used for teaching and self-designed research projects.
Dean of the Sciences John Walsh said he was "extraordinarily pleased," with Gleiser's achievement, adding that it was, "very pleasing as a colleague in physics and as dean of the science division that research activities achieved national recognition."
Gleiser, a theoretical physicist specializing in particle cosmology, earned his master's degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and his doctorate degree from the University of London, King's College London. He joined the Dartmouth faculty in 1991.
Particle cosmology blends two areas of physics -- particle physics and cosmology. Particle physics "is the study of the structure of matter, what we are made of basically, [and] the basic constituency of matter," Gleiser said.
Whereas particle physics deals with the very small, cosmology is the branch of physics that deals with the very big; cosmology "is the study of the universe as a whole, the origin of the universe and its evolution," he added.
In addition, Gleiser is also studying "the emergence of complexity in the universe."
Glesier said receiving both the Presidential Faculty Fellow Award and the NSF grant will help him professionally since he will not have to worry about getting grants through normal channels. Researchers usually have to submit proposals which them must be approved before being funded.
While most grants stipulate that funding must be used to carry out specific research projects, the PFF Award money can be used for a broader array of projects.
"It also gives me a lot of opportunities for traveling and supporting students," Gleiser stated. In addition, Gleiser, a native of Brazil, said "it is very nice that Brazilian science is getting recognition at this level."
Gleiser said one of his personal goals in teaching is to make physics understandable for everyone. To help achieve this goal, Gleiser and History Professor Richard Kremar have developed a new course for non-science majors.
The course, Physics 1, doubled in size the first week it was offered and will be offered again in spring 1996.
"You can appreciate physics even if you don't know mathematics the same way that you can appreciate music even if you don't how to read music," Gleiser said.
Earth Sciences Professor Joel Blum, who received the Presidential Faculty Fellow Award in 1993, said it was very valuable in terms of furthering his research projects. He said the NSF grant allowed him to pursue riskier projects, undertake more interdisciplinary research projects and spend more time with his students because the funds "don't have strings attached to them."
Three people connected with Dartmouth have won the Presidential Faculty Fellow Award in its three years of existance.
Besides Gleiser and Blum, University of Wyoming Professor Charles Woodsworth '80 also won the award this year.
Blum said Dartmuth was the only private school among five to have won two or more Presidential Faculty Fellow Aawards in the math and sciences.
"Awards such as these help demonstrate the excellence of Dartmouth faculty to the world," College Spokesman Alex Huppe, said.
