Thomas Glasmacher, a Michigan State University Distinguished Professor of physics and astronomy, has been named a AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
This national recognition is awarded to researchers for their efforts to advance science or its applications. During the last five years, 28 MSU faculty members have been named as AAAS Fellows.
Glasmacher, who also is project manager for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, is being honored for his contributions to the understanding of the properties of exotic atomic nuclei and leadership in the management and development of accelerators of rare isotopes.
”I am honored to be recognized by the AAAS, dedicated to the advancement of science and to serve society,” Glasmacher said. “And I am privileged to have been able to do my research at Michigan State University for the past 21 years, a truly special place where advancement of science and serving society go hand-in-hand naturally.”
Glasmacher joined MSU’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory in 1992. In 1995 he joined the MSU faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and NSCL.
His research has focused on exploring the structure of rare isotopes with new experimental techniques involving gamma rays. This work was recognized in 2006 with the Sackler Prize in the Physical Sciences.
From 2003 to 2009 Glasmacher was the NSCL’s associate director for operations.
In 2008 he led the team that prepared the winning FRIB proposal. He became the FRIB project director when the cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy and MSU was signed in June 2009.
FRIB will be a new U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science national user facility for nuclear science, providing intense beams of rare isotopes to better enable scientists to make discoveries about the properties of these isotopes. This will allow researchers to gain deeper understanding into key scientific questions including the origins of stars and the universe. Isotopes discovered may have important applications for medicine, national security, biology and other uses.
Glasmacher was a member of the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee to DOE and the National Science Foundation from 2004-2007, is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a Stanford Certified Project Manager.
He earned a master’s degree in 1990 and doctorate in experimental nuclear physics in 1992 from Florida State University.
Nearly 388 AAAS members were selected as AAAS Fellows for 2013. The winners will be formally recognized Feb. 15, 2014, during the annual AAAS meeting in Chicago.