Burns, Hixson and Movshovich will be honored at a Fellows Prize colloquium later this year. The honorees will give a 15-minute presentation summarizing their prize-winning research and each will receive a $3,000 check and certificate. Former Laboratory director John Browne signed the letter informing the recipients of their selection.
The Fellow's Prize recognizes high-quality published research in science and engineering that has a significant impact on a particular field or discipline.
A committee of Laboratory Fellows reviews nominations for the award. Nominees must be full-time Lab employees; however, fellows and postdoctoral researchers are ineligible for consideration. The committee received 11 nominations in 2002.
Burns was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the understanding of metal-ligand multiple bonding in organometallic chemistry of the actinide elements. Through systematic preparation of new classes of complexes containing these bonds, Burns and coworkers have created a new appreciation for the role of metal 5f- and 6d-orbitals in defining the unique chemistry of actinides.
"I'm deeply honored by this award. I believe the award is a recognition of the combined efforts of the incredibly talented postdocs, students and collaborators that I've had the privilege to work with in the Los Alamos actinide chemistry community," said Burns.
Burns earned a doctoral degree in inorganic chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1987. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Rice University at Houston.
Burns is a technical reviewer for the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, American Chemical Society and for European journals. She participates as an external reviewer for doctorate thesis committees for the University of British Columbia and the University of New Mexico. She is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society. She also was awarded the Los Alamos National Laboratory Women's Diversity Working Group Women's Career Development Mentoring Award in 2002.
Hixson was selected for his seminal contributions to the understanding of dynamic properties of plutonium and explosives materials, which have been critical to the success of stockpile stewardship. His pioneering work of applying shock wave diagnostic techniques to explosives has led to a new understanding of the behavior of high-explosive detonation products.
"I'm happy to accept the Fellows Prize on behalf of myself and my many co-workers, all of whom were instrumental in this research effort. The efforts of our team have resulted in an increased understanding of dynamic properties of many relevant materials," he said.
Hixson earned his doctorate in physics from Washington State University in 1980. He has a master's degree in physics from the College of William and Mary and a bachelor's degree in physics from California State University at Hayward.
He is a member of the American Physical Society and served as chairman for the Shock Physics conference in 1999, Directors Advisory Group and Ad Hoc Steering Committee for the Institute for Shock Physics at Washington State University. Hixson also was awarded the DOE Award of Excellence for the Rebound experimental team in 1997, and he is the recipient of a Los Alamos Distinguished Performance Award in 1998.
Movshovich is acknowledged for his outstanding research in experimental low temperature condensed matter physics and, in particular, for his research on unconventional superconductivity and correlated-electron physics. He performed a number of groundbreaking experiments and invented a new technique reestablishing the Lab as one of the premier laboratories in the world for research that has application in ultra-low temperature thermal conductivity.
"I'm very happy that I am one of the winners of the Fellows Prize. Research thrives in an academic atmosphere, and this prize is a testament to the work of a tightly knit group of researchers. I am very grateful to my many co-workers and to my family members who have contributed in many different ways," said Movshovich.
Movshovich earned his doctorate in physics from Cornell University in 1990. He has a master's degree in physics from Cornell University and a bachelor's degree in applied physics from the California Institute of Technology.
He is a member of the American Physical Society. He also was awarded the Los Alamos Achievement Award in 1999 and has numerous publications and invited talks to his credit.
Note to news media/editors: Photos available at http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/news/photos/BurnsCarol.jpg, http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/news/photos/HixsonRobert.jpg, http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/news/photos/MovshovichRoman.jpg online.
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