Cherry Murray wins prestigious George Pake Prize from American Physical Society

LIVERMORE, Calif. — Dr. Cherry Murray, the newly appointed Deputy Director for Science & Technology at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has been named the winner of the American Physical Society’s (APS) prestigious George Pake Prize for 2005.

Murray, a physicist and former senior vice president of Bell Labs Research, Lucent Technologies, joined the Lab December 1. The George Pake Prize is one of the APS’ most distinguished awards. It recognizes and encourages outstanding work by physicists combining original research accomplishments with leadership and development in industry. The prize consists of $5,000 and a certificate of recognition.

Murray received the award for fundamental studies in surface and scattering physics, and for her previous leadership as Senior Vice President of Bell Labs Research, Lucent Technologies, “overseeing Bell Laboratories at an important time in its history.”

“I am thrilled to be a recipient of such a distinguished award,” said Murray. “To be recognized this way by my peers is quite an honor.”

Murray will be presented with her award at the annual APS gathering in March  2005 in Los Angeles.

The Pake Prize was endowed in 1983 by the Xerox Corporation in recognition of the achievements of George Pake, a research physicist and director of industrial research. The prize is awarded each year to one person for outstanding achievements in physics research combined with major success as a manager of research and development in industry. Previous winners include C. Paul Robinson, director of Sandia National Laboratories, and Charles Shank, former director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The American Physical Society, an international group of 40,000 members, promotes physics throughout the world and publishes the world’s most prestigious and widely read physical journals (APS News, Physics Today). Each year the society recognizes professional accomplishment with a spectrum of prizes, awards and the election of APS Fellows. More information on the Pake Prize and Murray’s citation is posted on the APS Website .

As deputy director for science and technology at Lawrence Livermore, Murray will lead and oversee the Laboratory’s science and technology activities, including development of the strategic science and technology plan; development of standards for scientific research performance and program quality; and oversight of efforts to recruit, develop and retain the Laboratory’s scientific, engineering and technical workforce.

Murray is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Discover Magazine named her one of the “50 Most Important Women in Science” in 2002.

Murray received her BS and Ph.D in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She serves on the governing boards of the National Research Council and Argonne National Laboratory, and the Executive Board and Council of the National Academy of Sciences. Murray is also a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has a mission to ensure national security and to apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.