Yodh Prize


The Yodh Prize, awarded every two years, honors a scientist for that scientist's outstanding career in cosmic ray research.

Background

The award ceremony takes place at the International Cosmic Ray Conference. The recipient is selected by the Commission on Astroparticle Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics on behalf of the University of California Irvine Foundation, which sponsors the prize. The prize winner gives a talk at UC Irvine's department of physics and astronomy. In 1998 Gaurang Bhaskar Yodh and his wife Kanwal G. Yodh endowed the prize to the UC Irvine Foundation.
The inaugural winner of the Yodh Prize was Reuven Ramaty. He was severely ill with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the time in April 2001 of his selection by the IUPAP and died about one week after he was informed of the honor.

Yodh Prize recipients

YearRecipientInstitution at time of awardCitation
2001Reuven RamatyNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterFor his significant and outstanding contributions to the field of cosmic ray astrophysics.
2003B. V. SreekantanNational Institute of Advanced Studies, BangaloreFor his significant and outstanding contributions to the field of cosmic ray astrophysics.
2005A. Michael HillasUniversity of LeedsFor his significant and outstanding contributions to the field of cosmic ray astrophysics.
2007Trevor C. WeekesHarvard–Smithsonian Center for AstrophysicsFor his significant and outstanding contributions to the field of cosmic ray astrophysics.
2009Dietrich MüllerUniversity of ChicagoFor his leadership in path-breaking experiments in cosmic ray astrophysics.
2011W. Vernon JonesNASA HeadquartersFor his outstanding contributions to balloon-borne cosmic ray and particle astrophysics experiments.
2013Motohiko NaganoUniversity of TokyoFor his pioneering leadership in the experimental study of the highest energy cosmic rays.
2015Werner HofmannMax Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, HeidelbergFor his outstanding leadership in the field of high-energy gamma-ray astronomy.
2017Jordan GoodmanUniversity of MarylandFor his outstanding leadership in the development of water Cherenkov instruments in high-energy gamma-ray astronomy.
2019Francis HalzenUniversity of WisconsinHis leadership and landmark contributions cleared a path for the emergence of neutrino astronomy.
2021Anthony Raymond BellUniversity of OxfordHis theoretical contributions led to a breakthrough in understanding the acceleration of cosmic rays by amplified magnetic fields.
2023John LearnedUniversity of HawaiʻiFor his groundbreaking ideas and profound influence on the early development of neutrino astronomy.