Bower Award and Prize
Established in 1988 with a bequest from Henry Bower, a Philadelphia chemical manufacturer, the Bower Award and Prize recognizes exceptional individuals in the science, technology and engineering. The Franklin Institute identifies award winners whose great innovation has benefited humanity, advanced science, launched new fields of inquiry and deepened our understanding of the universe. Learn more about the Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science.
Takeo Kanade, SCS Faculty
2008
Dickson Prize
This award is presented annually to the person who has been judged by Carnegie Mellon to have made the most progress in the scientific field in the United States. At Carnegie Mellon, the field of science is interpreted to include the natural sciences, engineering, computer science and mathematics. Learn more about the Dickson Prize.
Marvin L. Cohen (Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics)
University Professor of Physics
University of California, Berkeley
Senior Faculty Scientist
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
2011
David A. Tirrell (Chemistry & Chemical Engineering)
Ross McCollum-William H. Corcoran Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
California Institute of Technology
2010
Saul Perlmutter (Physics)
Professor of Physics
University of California, Berkeley
Senior Scientist
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
2009
Richard M. Karp (Electical Engineering and Computer Science)
University Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley
Research Scientist
International Computer Science Institute
2008
Jean M. J. Fréchet (Organic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering)
Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry and Professor of Chemical Engineering
University of California, Berkeley
Director of the Organic and Macromolecular Facility for the Molecular Foundry
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
2007
Jared M. Diamond (Geography, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology)
Professor of Geography
University of California, Los Angeles
2006
David Haussler (Computational Learning Theory and Bioinformatics)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
Director, Center for Biomedical Science and Engineering
University of California, Santa Cruz
Scientific Co-Director
The California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research
Professor of Biomolecular Engineering
University of California, Santa Cruz
2005
George M. Whitesides (Materials Chemistry)
Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor
Harvard University
2004
Marc W. Kirschner (Cell Biology)
Head, Department of Systems Biology
Harvard Medical School
2003
Robert Langer (Chemical and Biomedical Engineering)
The Kenneth J. Germeshausen Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2002
Carver Mead (Microelectronics and Engineering)
The Gordon and Betty Moore Professor of Engineering and Applied Science (Emeritus)
California Institute of Technology
2001
Alexander Pines (Chemistry)
The Glenn T. Seaborg Professor of Chemistry
University of California, Berkeley
2000
Howard Raiffa (Decision Sciences)
Professor of Managerial Economics (Emeritus)
Harvard University
1999
Peter Shor (Quantum Computing)
Principal Research Scientist
AT&T Shannon Laboratory, Florham Park, New Jersey
1998
Walter Alvarez (Stratigraphy and Earth History)
Professor of Geology and Geophysics
University of California, Berkeley
1997
John P. Hirth (Structural Defects in Phase Transformations)
Battelle Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Washington State University
1996
Dr. Leland Hartwell (Cell Biology)
Senior Advisor, Scientific Affairs
Molecular Medicine Division
Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center of Seattle and Professor of Genetics
University of Washington
1995
Raymond Kurzweil (Artificial Intelligence and Kurzweil Reader)
Kurzweil Technologies
1994
Vera Rubin (Astrophysics)
Carnegie Institution of Washington
1993
Paul C. Lauterbur (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1992
David Botstein (Genetics)
Stanford University
1991
F. Sherwood Rowland (Atmospheric Carbons)
University of California, Irvine
1990
Richard E. Dickerson (Molecular Biology)
University of California, Los Angeles
1989
Joan Steitz (Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry)
Yale School of Medicine
1998
Mitchell Feigenbaum (Physics)
Rockefeller University
1987
Benjamin Widom (Chemical Engineering, Physics and Chemistry)
Department of Chemistry
Cornell University
1986
Norman Davidson (Genetics, Biology and Chemistry)
Department of Biology and Chemistry
California Institute of Technology
1985
Edward Fredkin (Computer Science)
Department of Computer Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1983-84
Harden M. McConnell (Magnetic Resonance)
Department of Chemistry
Stanford University
1982
John Werner Cahn (Metallurgy)
Center for Materials Science
U.S. Department of Commerce
1980
Seymour Benzer (Genetics and Molecular Biology)
Professor of Biology
California Institute of Technology
1978
John H. Sinfelt (Chemical Engineering)
Research Scientist
Exxon
1977
David M. Geiger (Civil Engineering)
Geiger Berger Associates
1974
Elias J. Corey (Organic Chemistry)
Department of Chemistry
Harvard University
1973
Francis L. Ver Snyder (Metallurgy)
Materials Engineering and Research Laboratory
Pratt and Whitney Aircraft
1972
George E. Palade (Cell Biology)
Department of Cell Biology
Rockefeller University
1971
Keith R. Porter (Cell Biology)
Chairman, Department of Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology
University of Colorado
1971
Richard Bellman (Mathematics)
Professor of Medicine, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
1970
Guggenheim Fellowships
Established in 1925 by former U.S. Senator and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim, in memory of their son John Simon Guggenheim, the fellowships honor "stellar achievement and exceptional promise for continued accomplishment" for those who "add to the educational, literary, artistic and scientific power of this country, and also to provide for the cause of better international understanding." Learn more about the Guggenheim Fellowships.
Mariana Achugar, H&SS Faculty
2009
Terrance Hayes, H&SS Faculty
2009
Alyosha (Alexei) Efros, SCS Faculty
2008
Honda Prize
Established in 1977 by the late Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., the Honda Foundation annually recognizes an individual or group whose contributions may lead to the next generation in the field of eco-technology. Learn more about the Honda Prize.
Raj Reddy, SCS Faculty
2005
MacArthur Foundation Fellows
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards five-year, unrestricted fellowships to individuals of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual and professional inclinations. Recipients may be writers, scientists, artists, social scientists, humanists, teachers, entrepreneurs, or those in other fields, with or without institutional affiliations. Learn more about the MacArthur Foundation Fellows.
Luis von Ahn, SCS Faculty, SCS '03 '05
2006
National Book Award
The mission of the National Book Foundation and the National Book Award is to celebrate the best of American literature, to expand its audience and enhance the cultural value of good writing in America. The annual award honors American writers in four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Young People’s Literature. Learn more about the National Book Award.
Terrance Hayes, H&SS Faculty
Poetry, "Lighthead" (Penguin Books)
2010
National Medal of Science
Created by Congress, this award honors individuals deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, chemistry and social sciences. Carnegie Mellon has been home to two National Medal of Science recipients. Learn more about the National Medal of Science.
Allen Newell, SCS Faculty
Mathematics and Computer Science, 1992
Herbert A. Simon, H&SS/SCS/TPR Faculty
Behavioral and Social Science, 1986
National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Created by Congress, this award is presented to individuals, teams and companies for achievement in the innovation, development, commercialization and management of technology. Carnegie Mellon has been home to two National Medal of Technology and Innovation recipients. Learn more about the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
Watts S. Humphrey, SEI Staff
2005
Stephanie Kwolek, MM 1946
1996
Stockholm Prize for Criminology
Established in 2006, the Swedish Ministry of Justice annually recognizes an individual for outstanding achievements in criminological research or the application of research results by practitioners for the reduction of crime and the advancement of human rights. Learn more about the Stockholm Prize for Criminology.
Alfred Blumstein, HNZ Faculty
2007
Turing Award
Named for "the father of computer science," Alan Mathison Turing, the award is given to an individual selected for contributions of a technical nature made to the computing community. It is considered to be the computing world's equivalent to the Nobel Prize and is awarded by the Association for Computing Machinery for contributions "of lasting and major technical importance to the computer field." Carnegie Mellon has been home to 11 Turing Award recipients. Learn more about the A.M. Turing Award.
Les Valiant, SCS Former Faculty
2011
Edmund Clarke, SCS/CIT Faculty
Awarded jointly with E. Allen Emerson and Josef Sifakis
2007
Manuel Blum, SCS Faculty
1995
Raj Reddy, SCS Faculty
Awarded jointly with Edward Feigenbaum (CIT/GSIA Alumnus)
1994
Edward Feigenbaum, CIT 1956, TPR '60
Awarded jointly with Raj Reddy (SCS Faculty)
1994
Ivan Sutherland, CIT Alumnus
1988
Robert Floyd, SCS Former Faculty
1978
Dana Scott, H&SS/MCS/SCS Faculty
Awarded jointly with Michael Rabin
1976
Allen Newell, SCS Faculty
Awarded jointly with Herbert Simon, H&SS/SCS/TPR Faculty
1975
Herbert Simon, H&SS/SCS/TPR Former Faculty
Awarded jointly with Allen Newell, SCS Faculty
1975
Alan Perlis, SCS Faculty
1966
Vannevar Bush Award
The National Science Board established the Vannevar Bush Award in 1980. Vannevar Bush was a prominent scientist, adviser to presidents and the force behind the establishment of the National Science Foundation. The annual award recognizes an individual who, through public service activities in science and technology, has made an outstanding "contribution toward the welfare of mankind and the nation." Learn more about the Vannevar Bush Award.
Raj Reddy, SCS Faculty
2006
Contact Abby Simmons in Media Relations at abbysimmons@cmu.edu or 412-268-4290 with awards questions.
