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Dr. David Wineland Receives Prestigious 2008 Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award for Contributions in the Field of Physics
Annual Awards Program Honors Outstanding Coloradans with Lifetime Achievement Awards; Wineland Joins Elite Group of State’s Top Leaders and Professionals
Denver, April 15, 2008 – The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, a private, nonprofit corporation created to enhance the quality of life for residents of Colorado, has announced that Dr. David Wineland, physicist and fellow of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a 2008 recipient of a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award. The annual awards are presented to one outstanding Coloradan in each of three fields, and this year Wineland was chosen as the recipient in the “Science & Medicine” category for his work in the field of quantum physics.
“Many of my colleagues and peers have contributed to the work that this award cites; I am grateful to them and the National Institute of Standards and Technology for providing the support and resources to pursue our research,” said Wineland. “It is gratifying to be honored by an organization the caliber of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, and I appreciate very much the recognition this award will provide for our work.”
Wineland’s team has recently been credited with developing the world’s most accurate atomic clock. Working from his office in Boulder, Colo., Wineland is a pioneer and world-recognized leader in the field of low temperature atomic physics. Since 1975, Wineland has worked at NIST researching and developing applications for laser-cooled ions.
“Colorado is home to some of the country’s most accomplished and talented individuals, and the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Awards recognize the Centennial State’s very best,” said Dorothy Horrell, president of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. “We’re honored to recognize Dr. David Wineland this year for his inspirational accomplishments at NIST over his prestigious 33 year career.”
Wineland’s most recent work demonstrates the ability to control the quantized motion and states of trapped ions; a technology with applications in high-performance atomic clocks and quantum computing. To acknowledge and reward his accomplishments, Wineland will be recognized at an awards luncheon in early May and receive a cash award of $35,000 from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.
“David Wineland is a world leader in the physics community,” said Dr. Tom O’Brian, director of the NIST Boulder Laboratories. “David has a long string of achievements that are first in the world or best in the world – often both – in areas such as laser cooling, atomic clocks, and quantum computing. NIST and Colorado are fortunate to have David in our community.”
To receive a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award, honorees are nominated by colleagues and other community leaders. The pool of potential award recipients is reviewed by panels of past honorees, and the panels advance candidates to the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Board of Trustees which makes the final decision on each year’s honorees. The selection process is rigorous and highly competitive, and it can take several years of nominations before candidates are presented an award.
“The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation presents only three awards each year,” added Horrell. “Dr. Wineland now joins an elite group of Colorado’s top leaders, and we hope the award will help showcase Dr. Wineland so his work can inspire the next generation of great Colorado scientists.”
Established in 1984, the awards fulfill Charles Stanton’s desire to honor individuals who are making significant and unique contributions. Each year since then, the foundation has recognized outstanding Coloradans with the dual goals of bringing acclaim to their efforts, and motivating others to greater accomplishments on behalf of Colorado and its citizens.
About the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation created to enhance the quality of life for residents of Colorado. Charles Edwin Stanton established the Foundation in 1962 following the death of his wife, Mary Madeline (May) Bonfils Stanton. Mrs. Stanton was the daughter of Belle and Frederick Bonfils, a co-founder of The Denver Post newspaper.
The Foundation continues the legacy of its benefactor through grants to Colorado nonprofit organizations. The mission of the Foundation is to advance excellence in the areas of: Arts and Culture, Community Service, and Science and Medicine, through strategic investments resulting in significant and unique progress in these fields and across the nonprofit sector. Since its founding, the Foundation has awarded more than $44 million to nonprofit organizations throughout Colorado.