2025 AWARDEES
This year, AVS honors the following awardees:
MEDARD W. WELCH AWARD
Ian S. Gilmore, National Physical Laboratory,
“For pioneering advances in molecular imaging by mass spectrometry with impact in biomedical research and novel devices and championing international standardization”
This award recognizes and encourages outstanding accomplishments in the fields of interest to AVS. The award consists of a cash award, a medal, a plaque, and an honorary lectureship at a regular session of the International Symposium.
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JOHN A. THORNTON MEMORIAL AWARD AND LECTURE
Ellen R. Fisher, University of New Mexico,
“For exceptional contributions to the advancement and understanding of plasma chemistries and plasma-surface interactions in thin film deposition and surface modification”
This award recognizes outstanding research or technological innovation in the areas of interest to AVS, with emphasis on the fields of thin films, plasma processing, and related topics. The award consists of a cash award, a plaque, and an honorary lectureship at a regular session of the International Symposium.
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PETER MARK MEMORIAL AWARD
Nicholas Glavin, Air Force Research Laboratory,
“For pioneering and innovative synthesis approaches for 2D materials and heterostructures enabling flexible high-power electronic devices, ultra-sensitive sensor devices, ferroelectric memory, and advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices”
This award recognizes outstanding theoretical or experimental work by an early career scientist or engineer. The award consists of a cash award, a plaque, and an honorary lectureship at a regular session of the International Symposium.
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2025 AVS FELLOWS
AVS Fellows are Platinum Members who have made sustained and outstanding technical contributions in areas of interest to AVS.
Gerardo Brucker, MKS Instruments, Inc.
“For profound impact on vacuum technology, mass spectrometry, and gas analysis, including developing AVS short courses, recommended practices, and leadership within the Vacuum Technology Division”
Brian Holloway, Intellectual Ventures
“For outstanding sustained technical contributions and management in interdisciplinary areas of science and technology including basic science, technology development, and commercialization of materials, interfaces, and processing”
R. Mohan Sankaran, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
“For pioneering work in the study and application of non-equilibrium plasmas for chemical and materials synthesis”
Udo D. Schwarz, Yale University
“For critical and sustained contributions to scanning probe microscopy, with remarkable impact in fields ranging from fundamental studies of friction to surface reactivity and catalysis”
James Tobin, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
“For crucial contribution to present understanding of 5f electron states in actinides by means of advanced spectroscopic methods”
Steven Vitale, United States Military Academy
“For outstanding contributions in the areas of plasma physics and solid-state devices, developing novel processing technology to create fast switching and ultralow power microelectronics for national security”
2025 AVS NATIONAL STUDENT AWARD FINALISTS
There are five (5) top-level named Graduate Student Awards and three (3) Graduate Research Awards, listed below. The recipients of these awards are determined after a general competition with all the graduate research applicants and a presentation to the Awards Committee.
RUSSELL AND SIGURD VARIAN AWARD
The Russell and Sigurd Varian Award was established in 1982 to commemorate the pioneering work of Russell and Sigurd Varian. It is presented to recognize and encourage excellence in graduate studies in the sciences and technologies of interest to AVS. The award is supported by Agilent Technologies Vacuum Products Division. It consists of a cash award, a certificate, and reimbursed travel support to attend the International Symposium.
Marshall Frye, Georgia Institute of Technology
“Investigating dielectric-ferroelectric interface influences on the coercive field in Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 films to enable ferroelectric NAND flash memory”
NELLIE YEOH WHETTEN AWARD
The Nellie Yeoh Whetten Award was established in 1989, in the spirit of Nellie Yeoh Whetten, to recognize and encourage excellence by women in graduate studies in the sciences and technologies of interest to AVS. A fund to support the award was established by Timothy J. Whetten, friends and family of Nellie Yeoh Whetten, and AVS. The award consists of a cash award, a certificate, and reimbursed travel support to attend the International Symposium.
Sanzeeda Baig Shuchi, Stanford University
“Advancing surface-preserving characterization and engineering stable nanoscale interfaces for batteries”
DOROTHY M. AND EARL S. HOFFMAN AWARD
The Dorothy M. and Earl S. Hoffman Award was established in 2002 to recognize and encourage excellence in graduate studies in the sciences and technologies of interest to AVS. It is funded by a bequest from Dorothy M. Hoffman, who was president of AVS in 1974 and held other positions of responsibility in the Society. The award consists of a cash award, a certificate, and reimbursed travel support to attend the International Symposium
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Joshua Wagner, University of Chicago
“Elucidating the stability of 2D moiré materials and reaction dynamics in the heterogeneous catalysis of N₂ on Ru(0001) through reactive scattering and STM”
DOROTHY M. AND EARL S. HOFFMAN SCHOLARSHIPS
The Dorothy M. and Earl S. Hoffman Scholarships were established in 2002 to recognize and encourage excellence in graduate studies in the sciences and technologies of interest to AVS. They are funded by a bequest from Dorothy M. Hoffman. The scholarships consist of a cash award, a certificate, and reimbursed travel support to attend the International Symposium.
Andrew Messecar, Western Michigan University
“Investigating the applicability of both quantum and classical machine learning techniques for the modeling of thin film science processing spaces”
Li Zhang, Georgia Institute of Technology
“Pioneering vapor phase infiltration of conducting polymers for the synthesis of photocatalytic hybrid materials”
GRADUATE RESEARCH AWARDS
The Graduate Research Awards were established in 1984 to recognize and encourage excellence in graduate studies in the sciences and technologies of interest to AVS. Each consists of a cash award, a certificate, and reimbursed travel support to attend the International Symposium.
Pulkita Jain, New York University
"Engineering lead-free halide double perovskites via vapor-phase synthesis and optical characterization to elucidate structure-property-stability relationships for sustainable optoelectronic applications”
Gabriel Parker, University of Illinois Chicago
"Investigating the interfacial chemistry for energy and waste solutions using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry”
Zhifei Yang, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
“Field-effect manipulation of properties of oxide thin films grown by (hybrid) molecular beam epitaxy”
AVS FORTY YEAR CLUB
The Forty-Year Club consists of current AVS Platinum members who have been active in the Society for 40 years or more.
For a complete list click here
For more information on any of the awards or recognition mention above, please contact Angela Klink, AVS, angela@avs.org.