Announcing the 2026 Recipient of the Dickson Prize in Science

October 6, 2026

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

I am pleased to announce that Carnegie Mellon University has selected Dr. Meg Urry as the 2026 recipient of the Dickson Prize in Science. Dr. Urry serves as the Israel Munson Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Yale University and was the founding director of the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a former president of the American Astronomical Society.

Academic leaders at CMU selected Dr. Urry for her pioneering research, which has revolutionized our understanding of how supermassive black holes form, grow and evolve across the cosmos. As one of the world’s foremost astrophysicists, she has made a profound impact on the field, including establishing the landmark 1995 unified physical model for Active Galactic Nuclei. Additionally, she has proven to be a trailblazing leader, serving as the first woman to chair Yale's Department of Physics.

Pittsburgh physician Joseph Z. Dickson and his wife, Agnes Fisher Dickson, established CMU's Dickson Prize in Science in 1969. CMU bestows the prize annually as one of its most prestigious awards, recognizing substantial achievements or sustained progress in engineering, the natural sciences, computer science or mathematics.

We will present the award to Dr. Urry when she delivers the annual Dickson Prize in Science Lecture on March 18, 2027, as part of the University Lecture Series. Registration details will be shared before the event.

We look forward to welcoming Dr. Urry to CMU to celebrate her achievements and the lasting impact of her contributions to the scientific community and society.

Sincerely,

James H. Garrett Jr.
Provost and Chief Academic Officer