Prof. Krzysztof Kempa has been elected a 2016 Fellow of the American Physical Society

Krzysztof (Kris) Kempa, Professor of Physics at Boston College, has been elected a 2016 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS).

The APS's Fellowship Program recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise; e.g., outstanding physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, or significant contributions to physics education. Election to Fellowship is a distinct honor signifying recognition by one’s peers and limited to no more than one half of one percent of the over 50,000 APS members.

Professor Kempa was cited by the APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics (DCMP) for his outstanding research, which is focused on the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with novel materials and architectures, in particular on optical and plasmonic effects. The APS citation, which can be found at www.aps.org/units/dcmp/fellowship, is for “pioneering contributions to understanding basic physics of plasmons in condensed matter systems.”  

On behalf of the department, chairman and Ferris Professor Michael J. Naughton congratulates Prof. Kempa, adding that “Kris is entirely deserving of this honor. He has been a sustained, leading presence in the department, with creative, high level theoretical research that engages many aspects of novel materials physics and phenomena, including its overlap with other disciplines such as engineering and biology - the very essence of integrated science.”

BC Physics now has five of its faculty, constituting nearly 30% of the department, selected for this highly competitive honor, with Professor Kempa joining Distinguished Research Professor Gabor Kalman, Rourke Professor Kevin Bedell, Professor Naughton and Professor David Broido.