Homer Neal
Homer Alfred Neal | |
|---|---|
 Neal at thePhysics Todayroundtable, November 1991 | |
| Born | June 13, 1942 |
| Died | May 23, 2018(aged 75) |
| Alma mater |
|
| Awards |
|
| InterimPresidentof the University of Michigan | |
| In office 1996–1996 | |
| Preceded by | James J. Duderstadt |
| Succeeded by | Lee C. Bollinger |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Particle physics |
| Institutions | CERN,University of Michigan |
| Notable students | Marjorie Corcoran |
Homer Alfred Neal(June 13, 1942 – May 23, 2018[1]) was an Americanparticle physicistand a distinguished professor at theUniversity of Michigan.[2]Neal was president of theAmerican Physical Societyin 2016.[3]He was also a board member ofFord Motor Company,a council member of theNational Museum of African American History and Culture,and a director of theRichard Lounsbery Foundation.[4]Neal was the interimPresident of the University of Michiganin 1996.[5]Neal's research group works as part of theATLAS experimenthosted atCERNinGeneva.[4]
Biography[edit]
Neal grew up an African-American[6]in highly segregatedFranklin, Kentucky,and was forced by his neighbors there to break off relations with a white friend with whom he had bonded over a shared interest inham radio.[3]He received his B.S. in physics fromIndiana University Bloomingtonin 1961, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1966. From 1976 to 1981, Neal was Dean for Research and Graduate Development at Indiana University, and from 1981 to 1986 he wasprovostat theState University of New York at Stony Brook.[7]
Neal served as a Regent for theSmithsonian Institutionfrom 1989 to 2001.[8]He served for 18 years on the board of directors ofFord Motor Company,from 1997 to 2014.[9]Neal also served as a director for theRichard Lounsbery Foundationfor 13 years.[10]
Neal held Honorary Doctorates from Indiana University,Michigan State University,theUniversity of Notre Dame.[4]
On 14 Nov 2009, Dr. Neal described the discoveries of spin at the University of Michigan (UM) with a presentation:History of Spin at Michigan.
Professor Neal died on May 23, 2018, at the age of 75.[11] [6]
On 14 April 2023, Professor Neal was honored by the UM dedicating the Homer A. Neal Laboratory to him. The Neal Laboratory is the first academic building on Central Campus to be named after a Black member of the UM community.[12]
Science policy[edit]
Homer Neal was a notable figure inU.S. science policy.From 1980 to 1986, Neal served as a member of theNational Science Boardof theNational Science Foundation,the federal agency responsible for the funding ofbasic research.[13]While on the National Science Board he chaired the committee that produced the board's first comprehensive report on undergraduate science education. He has also served as chairman of the physics advisory committee of the National Science Foundation. Over the course of his career, Neal has delivered testimony on numerous occasions to Congress.
Neal also served as regent of theSmithsonian Institutionand on numerous advisory committees for science, research and policy organizations includingOak Ridge National Laboratory,Argonne National Laboratory,the board of theCenter for Strategic and International Studies,Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory,Fermilab,and others. He served as a member of theNational Research CouncilBoard on Physics and Astronomy and as a member of theAmerican Physical Society(APS)'s Panel on Public Affairs. He was a recipient of the Society's Bouchet Award. He was an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences[14]
In 2013, Neal was elected to be the vice-president of the American Physical Society, an association representing over 51,000 physicists in academia, national labs, and industry in the United States and worldwide. In 2015, he served as President-Elect and served as President of the APS in 2016.[15]Homer Neal was a co-author ofBeyond Sputnik: U.S. Science Policy in the 21st Century,a popular textbook and website on science policy. He served on the Advisory Board of the Journal of Science Policy & Governance.[16]
In Apr 2014, colleagues and friends from around the world gathered at UM in Ann Arbor for aHomer Neal Symposiumto honor Dr. Neal. The sessions focused on Neal's experiments at Brookhaven, Argonne, SLAC, Fermilab, and CERN, as well as his contributions to the US government as a member of the National Science Board, and to the Smithsonian Institution as a regent. At the Symposium, he noted Emil Konopinski[17]had advised him go to graduate school at UM.[18]
Bibliography[edit]
- Beyond Sputnik: U.S. Science Policy in the 21st Century(2008),ISBN0472033069
References[edit]
- ^"Obituary: Homer Neal | U-M LSA Physics".lsa.umich.edu.Retrieved28 May2018.
- ^U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Atomic Energy; U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (1972).Hearings and Reports on Atomic Energy(Report). Vol. 158.U.S. GPO.p. 1,486.RetrievedDecember 28,2015.
- ^ab"2016 APS President - Homer Neal".American Physical Society.Retrieved13 June2018.
- ^abc"Homer A. Neal, Biographical Summary".American Physical Society.Archived fromthe originalon 14 April 2016.Retrieved7 July2016.
- ^"Presidents of the University of Michigan".University of Michigan.Bentley Historical Library.Archived fromthe originalon 2 February 2014.Retrieved24 January2014.
- ^abWeintraub, Karen (2018-06-08)."Homer A. Neal, Leader in Physics Who Explored Matter, Dies at 75".New York Times.Retrieved13 June2018.
- ^"2003 Edward A. Bouchet Award Recipient".American Physical Society.Retrieved24 January2014.
- ^"Neal, Homer Alfred (06/13/1942-)".Smithsonian Institution.Retrieved9 June2020.
- ^"Ford Names William E. Kennard to Board of Directors; Homer Neal Elects to Leave After 18 Years of Service".Ford Motor Company.Retrieved9 June2020.
- ^"Remembering Homer Neal, 1942-2018".Richard Lounsbery Foundation.10 June 2018.Retrieved9 June2020.
- ^"Obituary: Dr. Homer Neal | Nie Family Funeral Home".Retrieved31 May2018.
- ^"Homer A. Neal Laboratory dedication | The University Record".record.umich.edu.Retrieved8 May2023.
- ^"Former National Science Board Members".nsf.gov.National Science Foundation.Retrieved6 August2015.
- ^"Homer A. Neal".
- ^"APS Members Elect Homer Neal to Presidential Line".aps.org.American Physical Society.Retrieved6 August2015.
- ^"JSPG Advisory Board".
- ^"Emil Konopinski".28 April 2023.Retrieved8 May2023– via Wikipedia.
- ^https://leccap.engin.umich.edu/leccap/player/r/vUlQso|time stamp 26:00
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
- Presidents of the University of Michigan
- 1942 births
- 2018 deaths
- 20th-century American physicists
- 21st-century American physicists
- 20th-century African-American scientists
- 21st-century African-American scientists
- People associated with CERN
- University of Michigan faculty
- Stony Brook University faculty
- Indiana University Bloomington alumni
- University of Michigan alumni
- Sloan Research Fellows
- Deaths from cerebrovascular disease
- People from Franklin, Kentucky
- African-American physicists
- Presidents of the American Physical Society