Turner takes over at the NSF
On 1 October 2003 the astrophysicist Michael Turner, from the University of Chicago in the US, took over as assistant director for mathematical and physical sciences at the US National Science Foundation (NSF). This $1 billion directorate supports research in mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials and astronomy, as well as multidisciplinary and educational programmes. Turner recently chaired the US National Research Council's Committee on the Physics of the Universe, which earlier this year produced a comprehensive report entitled: "Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos: Eleven Science Questions for the New Century". This report contributed to the current US administration's science planning agenda. Turner, who will serve at the NSF for a two-year term, replaces Robert Eisenstein, who was recently appointed as president of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico (see CERN Courier June 2003 p29).
Institute of Advanced Study announces its next director
Peter Goddard is to become the new director of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, from 1 January 2004. Goddard, a mathematical physicist, is well known for his work in string theory and conformal field theory, for which he received the ICTP's Dirac prize in 1997, together with David Olive. This work dates back to 1970-1972, when he held a position as a visiting scientist at CERN and began working with others on what was to become string theory. Goddard is currently master of St John's College, Cambridge, UK, and is professor of theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge, where he was instrumental in helping to establish the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences.
Photograph courtesy of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. Photographer: Cliff Moore.
CERN signs a further protocol with Pakistan
CERN Council has approved a protocol to the co-operation agreement between CERN and Pakistan, according to which Pakistan will make a net contribution of up to $5 million to CERN. The protocol was signed on the occasion of the opening of the 28th Nathiagali Summer School in Islamabad. Shown here signing the protocol are Parvez Butt (seated centre), chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and Riazuddin (seated left), director of the National Centre of Physics (NCP). Diether Blechschmidt from CERN (seated right) and members of the PAEC and the NCP (standing behind) look on.