Three from the Illinois MRSEC were recognized at the 2022 APS Meeting in Chicago this week. I-MRSEC Director Prof. Nadya Mason won the 2020 Bouchet Award, Prof. Axel Hoffmann won the 2022 David Adler Lectureship, and Alina Kononov (former graduate student in Prof. Andre Schliefe’s group) won the 2022 Nicholas Metropolis Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Work in Computational Physics.

Mason's award citation describes her achievements: "For impactful experimental research on low-dimensional superconducting and topological materials and devices, and for the promotion of diversity and inclusiveness in the scientific workforce, enhancing opportunities for underrepresented groups through leadership, service, and mentoring." The Bouchet Award promotes the participation of underrepresented minorities in physics by identifying and recognizing a distinguished minority physicist who has made significant contributions to physics research and the advancement of underrepresented minority scientists.

Hoffmann's award recognizes an outstanding contributor to the field of materials physics who is notable for high quality research, review articles, and lecturing, with the citation: "For pioneering work, engaging lectures, and comprehensive reviews advancing the understanding of spin transport and magnetization dynamics in magnetic multilayers."

Kononov's award recognizes doctoral thesis research of outstanding quality and achievement in computational physics and encourages effective written and oral presentation of research results, with the citation: "For trailblazing contributions to the computational modeling of materials physics, including large-scale simulations of irradiated materials and advances in time-dependent density functional theory."