Erika Birgit Kaufmann and Ralph Kaufmann receive 2013 Simons Fellowships

05-08-2013

Professors Erika Birgit Kaufmann and Ralph Kaufmann are the recipients of 2013 Simons Fellowships in theoretical physics and mathematics, respectively. They will spend fall 2013 at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey and spring 2014 at the Max-Planck-Institute for Mathematics in Bonn, Germany.

Erika Birgit Kaufmann's proposal is titled "Mathematical physics of quantum systems." Her projects focus on non-equilibrium statistical mechanics as well as on quantum wire networks from triply periodic CMC surfaces.

Ralph Kaufmann's project is titled "Geometry and topology inspired by physics." He will work on projects in algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, and mathematical physics. His focus will be on topological field theories, Feynman categories, and genera from sheaves of vertex operator algebras.

This year the Simons Foundation awarded 15 fellowships in theoretical physics and 40 fellowships in mathematics. The program extends academic leaves from one semester to a full year, enabling recipients to focus solely on research for the long periods often necessary for significant advances.