The Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) is pleased to announce that the 2014 Blavatnik National Award has been awarded to RLE PI Marin Soljacic. Dr. Soljacic is a principle investigator in RLE and a Professor of Physics at MIT. Professor Soljacic is recognized by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Science for his ‘exploration of nonlinear optical phenomena and his work on wireless energy transfer using magnetic fields’ (AP Press).
Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director and Leon Levy Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, and member of the 2014 Blavatnik Awards National Jury remarked that, “Marin Soljacic is a unique broad physicist whose research interests range from abstract theory to the most practical applications. He has explored new interactions between light and matter, pioneered a method of wireless transfer energy by magnetic fields, and is a true visionary of future technology
Professor Soljacic commented, “For me (and most of my colleagues), being a scientist is the greatest fun around. The Blavatnik Award is a great honor: it confirms that what I do is also very important to society in general. It is an amazing privilege to do something so much fun, yet so useful. The Blavatnik Award is also a recognition that my way of doing things is effective: it will give me further encouragement to work on even bolder ideas in the future.”
The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists supports and honors outstanding scientists and engineers by encouraging and accelerating innovation through unrestricted funding and by recognizing the researcher’s extraordinary achievements as vital contributions to science and society.
Len Blavatnik, the founder and Chairman of Access Industries and head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation remarked, “Our goal is to recognize and celebrate exceptional young scientists – to make them examples of what the next generation of young scientists should strive to achieve. The Blavatnik Family Foundation is providing critical support to seed innovative work in science and technology that will address society’s most pressing global problems.”
Professor Soljacic has been awarded $250,000 in unrestricted funds and will be honored at the American Museum of Natural History in New York in September.
Related Links:
Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists Announce 2014 National Laureates (Access Industries)
Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists (New York Academy of Sciences)