Number 77, May 2006

 

National Academy of Sciences elects Ward Plummer

Ward Plummer

University of Tennessee-ORNL Distinguished Scientist Ward Plummer has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He becomes the only UT and ORNL researcher currently in the NAS.

Ward came to ORNL and UT in 1992, joining the then Solid State Division and UT’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Membership in the NAS is one of the nation’s highest science honors, reflecting a distinguished career and significant research achievements.

Ward specializes in surface physics—investigating the electronic, magnetic and structural properties of a material’s surface at the atomic scale. At ORNL, Ward currently helps lead Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences research in the areas magnetism, transport and imaging.

Says the Materials S&T Division’s John Cooke, “Since coming to ORNL and UTK, Ward has contributed in many ways to help make us better and stronger not only scientifically but also with funding, proposals, recruiting, mentoring, developing new initiatives, being a major player in the CNMS, award nominations for his colleagues and much more. Most impressive are his passion for science and the energy and drive he brings to the table to get all this done.”

Ward and his Materials S&T Division colleagues are working with scanning tunneling microscope designers to build advanced ultrahigh-vacuum scanning microscopy probes for research at the nanoscience center. This instrumentation will enable studies of quantum transport in nanoscale systems and fabrication and characterization of nanoscale devices.

Ward’s work with UT and ORNL also includes the Joint Institute for Materials Sciences, a state- and federally funded center that will be located at UT. The Materials S&T Division’s Mike Simpson, who also has a joint appointment with UT, says Ward’s zeal has furthered the research programs at both institutions.

“One of the most intriguing things about Ward is that even though he has his own research program that competes at the highest international level, he’s been able to go beyond this to pull together people from the university and the national laboratory from a broad range of interests to work on the most important interdisciplinary science that we can pursue,” Mike says.

“And beyond that he’s had the courage to push the administration both at the university and at the national laboratory to pursue these research agendas, regardless of the obstacles. No institution can hope to attain research excellence without people like Ward pushing these boundaries,” Mike says. “We are very lucky to have him.”

Ward has mentored more than 70 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The American Vacuum Society cited his work with emerging scientists in awarding him its Medard V. Welch Award in 2001.

“My perspective is that my legacy will be the minds I molded, not the papers I wrote or the prizes I won,” Ward
says.—B.C.