World-renowned physicist Barry Barish has been elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society (APS). Barish, who is a Nobel Laureate and holds the position of President’s Distinguished Endowed Chair in Physics at Stony Brook University, joins 37 other new members this year. The APS, co-founded by Benjamin Franklin and John Bartram in 1743, is recognized as North America's oldest learned society. It honors individuals for extraordinary accomplishments across various fields.
Barish joined Stony Brook University in 2023 and shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for his role in observing gravitational waves through the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory experiment. This research confirmed Albert Einstein's prediction of ripples in space-time.
Chang Kee Jung, chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook, commented on Barish's achievement: “Of all the numerous accolades Barry received, this could be one of the coolest.” He added that Barish shares company with notable figures like C.N. Yang, who was elected to APS in 1964. Jung praised Barish's contributions to physics, particularly his role in discovering gravitational waves from merging black holes.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities at Stony Brook, Barish advises on enhancing gravitational astronomy research participation. He also holds emeritus status as Ronald and Maxine Linde Professor of Physics at Caltech and serves as a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Riverside.