C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics

YITP faculty member Patrick Meade has been named a 2024 Fellow of the  American Physical Society.   This honor is extended to a small number of Society members annually for distinguished contributions to research and the national scientific community.   Patrick's citation recognizes his "pioneering research and leadership in particle theory and phenomenology, including signatures of gauge-mediated supersymmetry, top partners, long-lived particles, Higgs sectors, phase transitions of the early universe, and the science capabilities of proposed facilities."   Patrick arrived in Stony Brook in 2009, and much of Patrick's work since then has been with students and postdocs here at the Institute.   See here for the university's announcement.

In response to a SUNY-wide New York State initiative, Stony Brook University is establishing a new Department of Technology, AI and Society, drawing on the wide experience and knowledge of Stony Brook faculty in the applications of artificial intelligence to scientific research.   One of the areas in which AI holds great promise is in cosmology, where vast data sets will hold keys to the history of the universe.   YITP cosmologist Vivian Miranda will serve on the university-wide committee that will map out a new graduate program, aimed at training "future leaders in the responsible shaping of the societal impact of artificial intelligence (AI)".

Alfred (Fred) Scharff Goldhaber passed away in October, 2024.  Fred was a faculty member at the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook nearly from its founding, and a valued member of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for as many years.  In his more than fifty years as a faculty member at Stony Brook, he advanced the understanding of diverse areas of physics. Generations of Institute and Department members have benefited from the collegial tone and openness to wide-ranging scientific discussions that Fred helped establish.

On Monday April 28, 2025, the YITP held a symposium in Fred's memory, honoring and celebrating both his major scientific contributions and recent developments that Fred would surely have found fascinating.

The YITP is proud to have participated in the organization and presentation of Stony Brook University's celebration of the broad and deep impact of James Simons (1938 - 2024) on and beyond the campus.   A full-day event was held at the Simons Center auditorium next door, with first-hand testimony from people who worked with Jim, videos that captured his commitment and wit, and a series of mini public lectures describing his mathematical discoveries and the wide-ranging research that his generosity made possible.

A more detailed account of the event, with a link to a video recording can be found at:

https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-university-honors-jim-simonslegacy-and-impact-on-campus/