Robert Jaffe
Encyclopedia
Robert L. Jaffe is an American
physicist and the Jane and Otto Morningstar Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT). He was formerly director of the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics
.
, Maine in 1946 and educated in public schools in Stamford
, Connecticut. He received his A.B.
degree in Physics
, summa cum laude, from Princeton University
, where he was valedictorian of the Class of 1968. He received his M.S.
and Ph.D.
degrees from Stanford University
in 1971 and 1972, respectively. At Stanford he founded the Stanford Workshops on Political and Social Issues.
In 1972, Jaffe came to MIT as a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Theoretical Physics; he joined the faculty in 1974. From 1975 until 1979, he was an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellow. Jaffe has spent sabbatical years at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
(1976), Oxford University and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN
) (1978-79), Boston University
(1986-87), and at Harvard University
(1996-97). He has served on the program advisory committees of several national laboratories including the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and Brookhaven National Laboratory
. For a decade he chaired the advisory council of the physics department of Princeton University. Since 1996, Jaffe has been an advisor to and Visiting Scientist at the RIKEN-Brookhaven Research Center. He spent the fall term of 1997 on leave from MIT at the RIKEN-Brookhaven Center.
From February 1998 to July 2005, Jaffe was the Director of the Center for Theoretical Physics at MIT. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society
and the American Association for the Advancement of Science
. He has been awarded the Science Council Prize for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduates (1983), the Graduate Student Council Teaching Award (1988), and the physics department's Buechner Teaching Prize (1997). In January 1998, Jaffe was named a Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow in recognition of his contributions to MIT's teaching program. In 2001 he was named the Otto and Jane Morningstar Professor in the School of Science at MIT.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist and the Jane and Otto Morningstar Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT). He was formerly director of the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics
MIT Center for Theoretical Physics
MIT Center for Theoretical Physics is a subdivision of MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science and Department of Physics. Current research areas in the center include particle physics, string theory, nuclear physics, lattice QCD, cosmology and quantum computing...
.
Biography
Jaffe was born in BathBath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
, Maine in 1946 and educated in public schools in Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, Connecticut. He received his A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, summa cum laude, from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he was valedictorian of the Class of 1968. He received his M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
and Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1971 and 1972, respectively. At Stanford he founded the Stanford Workshops on Political and Social Issues.
In 1972, Jaffe came to MIT as a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Theoretical Physics; he joined the faculty in 1974. From 1975 until 1979, he was an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellow. Jaffe has spent sabbatical years at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, originally named Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Stanford University under the programmatic direction of the U.S...
(1976), Oxford University and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
) (1978-79), Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
(1986-87), and at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(1996-97). He has served on the program advisory committees of several national laboratories including the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory , is a United States national laboratory located in Upton, New York on Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base...
. For a decade he chaired the advisory council of the physics department of Princeton University. Since 1996, Jaffe has been an advisor to and Visiting Scientist at the RIKEN-Brookhaven Research Center. He spent the fall term of 1997 on leave from MIT at the RIKEN-Brookhaven Center.
From February 1998 to July 2005, Jaffe was the Director of the Center for Theoretical Physics at MIT. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
and the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
. He has been awarded the Science Council Prize for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduates (1983), the Graduate Student Council Teaching Award (1988), and the physics department's Buechner Teaching Prize (1997). In January 1998, Jaffe was named a Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow in recognition of his contributions to MIT's teaching program. In 2001 he was named the Otto and Jane Morningstar Professor in the School of Science at MIT.