Ronald C. Davidson
Encyclopedia
Ronald C. Davidson is a Canadian
physicist
, professor and scientific administrator who works in the United States. He served as the first director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center
from 1978 to 1988, and as director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
from 1991 to 1996. He has been Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University
since 1991.
Davidson was born in Norwich
, Ontario
, Canada
, and received his bachelor's degree
from McMaster University
in 1963, and his doctorate
in physics from Princeton University
in 1966. As a Post-Doc he was at the University of California, Berkeley
from 1966 to 1968. In 1968 he went to work teaching at the University of Maryland
where he became a full professor in 1972. In 1978 he moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
where he taught until 1991.
Davidson is a fellow of the American Physical Society
and the American Association for the Advancement of Science
. He received the Leadership Award from Fusion Power Associates in 1986 and the 2005 IEEE Particle Accelerator Science and Technology Award. In 2008, Davidson received the James Clerk Maxwell Prize in Plasma Physics
for fundamental contributions to physics in the areas of non-neutral plasmas, particle beams of high intensity and collective non-linear interaction processes in high temperature plasmas.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, professor and scientific administrator who works in the United States. He served as the first director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center
MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center
The Plasma Science and Fusion Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a research laboratory for the study of plasma physics and nuclear fusion...
from 1978 to 1988, and as director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory for plasma physics and nuclear fusion science located on Princeton University's Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey. Its primary mission is research into and development of fusion as an...
from 1991 to 1996. He has been Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at 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....
since 1991.
Davidson was born in Norwich
Norwich, Ontario
The Township of Norwich is a municipality located in Oxford County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Preferred pronunciation of the town name is 'NOR-witch' , different from the city of Norwich, England, though its origin is more likely Norwich in Upper New York State, the area from which the...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in 1963, and his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in physics 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....
in 1966. As a Post-Doc he was at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
from 1966 to 1968. In 1968 he went to work teaching at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
where he became a full professor in 1972. In 1978 he moved to 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...
where he taught until 1991.
Davidson 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 received the Leadership Award from Fusion Power Associates in 1986 and the 2005 IEEE Particle Accelerator Science and Technology Award. In 2008, Davidson received the James Clerk Maxwell Prize in Plasma Physics
James Clerk Maxwell Prize in Plasma Physics
The James Clerk Maxwell Prize in Plasma Physics is an annual American Physical Society award given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of Plasma Physics. It was established in 1975 by Maxwell Technologies, Inc, in honor of the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell. It is...
for fundamental contributions to physics in the areas of non-neutral plasmas, particle beams of high intensity and collective non-linear interaction processes in high temperature plasmas.
External links
- "Biographical Sketch: Ronald C. Davidson" Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
- "Ronald Davidson" Array of Contemporary American Physicists
- "2008 James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics Recipient" American Physical Society