The Prize Committee has agreed to award Professor Roger Pynn the Gunnar Randers Research Prize for 2009, for his pioneer work in neutron scattering studies and uses in advanced materials science. Pynn is currently Professor at the Physics Department, Indiana University, USA.

Professor Pynn scores high on all the criteria established for the Prize. He has documented the most outstanding professional quality, and his work has led to increased fundamental understanding within the areas of complex fluids, biomolecular systems and magnetic structures. He is also a brilliant communicator with profound insight in research political questions.

Background
Pynn (b. 1945) is born and educated in England. He was at Studsvik, Sweden in the end of the 1960ies and he worked two years as post doc at IFE, mentored by Tormod Riste. After that he went to Grenoble, and he was at the ILL reactor for many years, before he became leader of Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center (LANCE).

His high status in the field is confirmed by his election as President of the Neutron Scattering Society of America (NSSA) with 1300 members. For many years Pynn has had good relations with Norwegian research communities, and he also speaks fluently Norwegian. He has taken part in most program committees for the Geilo Schools arranged by IFE’s Physics department, and he has attended 18 of the 19 events that have been held since 1971. He will also participate and give a lecture at the 20th Geilo School March 23 – April 2, 2009.

Royal award ceremony
His Majesty King Harald V of Norway will present Professor Pynn the award on Monday 20th of April at the Institute for Energy Technology, Kjeller, Norway. A range of prominent guests from the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget), the Ministries, the industry and research community in Norway are invited to the honouring of the Prize Winner. Prize winner Roger Pynn will give the lecture "Energy, Information, Geilo Schools and Neutron Scattering: Tying Together Some Loose Ends", in the auditorium at 13:45, after the award ceremony. All who are interested are welcome. See the presentation (pdf).

The prize, consisting of a work of art and NOK 100 000 may be awarded to Norwegians or persons connected to Norwegian research communities. Gunnar Randers Research Prize was established in 2001 and is awarded every second year in recognition of work in the area of physics of condensed matter, specifically work leading to advances in basic knowledge, innovation or technological breakthrough.

International committee
The Prize is awarded by an international committee consisting of Nobel Prize Laureate Ivar Giæver, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Oslo, Professor David Sherrington, Oxford University, Professor Eivind Hiis Hauge, NTNU and Professor Arne Skjeltorp, Institute for Energy Technology (IFE).

For more information please contact Professor Arne Skjeltorp at IFE, or Head of Information Viktor A. Wikstrøm jr.