Wikipedia

John C. Mather

For other people named John Mather, seeJohn Mather (disambiguation).
For the politician, seeJohn C. Mather (New York politician).

John Cromwell Mather(born August 7, 1946) is an Americanastrophysicist,cosmologistandNobel Prize in Physicslaureate for his work on theCosmic Background Explorer Satellite (COBE)withGeorge Smoot.

John Cromwell Mather
Mather in 2015
Born(1946-08-07)August 7, 1946(age 78)
Roanoke, Virginia,U.S.
Alma materSwarthmore College
University of California, Berkeley
Known forCosmic microwave background radiationstudies
AwardsDannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics(1993)
Nobel Prize in Physics(2006)
Scientific career
FieldsAstrophysics,cosmology
InstitutionsNASA
University of Maryland
Columbia University
ThesisFar Infrared Spectrometry of the Cosmic Background Radiation(1974)
Doctoral advisorPaul L. Richards
Signature

This work helped cement thebig-bangtheory of the universe. According to the Nobel Prize committee, "the COBE-project can also be regarded as the starting point forcosmologyas a precision science. "[1]

Mather is a senior astrophysicist at theNASAGoddard Space Flight Center(GSFC) inMarylandand adjunct professor of physics at theUniversity of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.In 2007,Timemagazinelisted Mather among the 100 Most Influential People in The World. In October 2012, he was listed again byTimemagazinein a special issue on New Space Discoveries as one of the 25 most influential people in space.

Mather is one of the 20 American recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics to sign a letter addressed to PresidentGeorge W. Bushin May 2008, urging him to "reverse the damage done to basic science research in the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill" by requesting additional emergency funding for theDepartment of Energy'sOffice of Science,theNational Science Foundation,and theNational Institute of Standards and Technology.[2]

Mather served as the senior project scientist for theJames Webb Space Telescope(JWST) from 1995 until 2023, when he was succeeded byJane Rigby.[3]

In 2014, Mather delivered an address on the James Webb Space Telescope at the secondStarmus Festivalin the Canary Islands.

Education and initial research

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  • 1964Newton High School,Newton, New Jersey[4]
  • 1968B.Sc.(Physics),Swarthmore College(Highest Honors)
  • 1974Ph.D.(Physics),University of California, Berkeley
  • 1974–1976 (NRC Postdoctoral Fellow),Columbia UniversityGoddard Institute for Space Studies

    • Honors and awards

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    Publications

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    Appearances

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    Mather is the Science Director of the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists.

    References

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    1. ^"The Nobel Prize in Physics 2006"(Press release). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. 3 October 2006.Retrieved2006-10-05.
    2. ^"A Letter from America's Physics Nobel Laureates"(PDF).
    3. ^Gutro, Rob (Jun 28, 2023). Adkins, Jamie (ed.)."NASA Names Dr. Jane Rigby New Webb Telescope Senior Project Scientist".NASA.RetrievedJune 28,2023.
    4. ^John C. Matheron Nobelprize.org,accessed 30 April 2020 "When I finished 8th grade, it was time to go to high school, and my parents decided to send me to Newton High School, where they thought we would get the best available education in our area."
    5. ^"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement".www.achievement.org.American Academy of Achievement.
    6. ^"NASA - Goddard Space Science is the Place for Awards This Season".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-04.Retrieved2010-02-02.
    7. ^"PM gives away awards to prominent scientists".PIB.Government of India.3 January 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 21 July 2011.
    8. ^University of Notre Dame."Honorary Degrees".Archived fromthe originalon 13 August 2011.Retrieved20 June2011.
    9. ^"AAS Fellows".AAS.Retrieved29 September2020.
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