Michael E. Fisher

Biography

Abstract

Michael E. Fisher is Distinguished University Professor and Regents Professor at the University of Maryland (1987-present). Other institutional affiliations include Cornell University and King’s College London. His research interests include phase transformations and statistical mechanics.

Important Dates

September 3, 1931Birth, Trinidad.

1951Obtained BSc, King's College London, London (England).

1957Obtained PhD in Physics, King's College London, London (England).

1958 – 1966Lecturer in Theoretical Physics (1958-1962); Reader (1962-1964); and Professor of Physics (1965-1966), King's College London, London (England).

1963 – 1964Guest Investigator, Rockefeller Institute.

1966 – 1989Professor of Chemistry and Mathematics (1966-1973); Chair, Department of Chemistry (1975-1978); and Horace White Professor of Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics (1973-1989), Cornell University, Ithaca (N.Y.).

1970Awarded Irving Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics, American Physical Society.

1971Fellow, Royal Society.

1980Awarded Wolf Foundation Prize in Physics.

1983Elected Foreign Associate, National Academy of Sciences.

1987 – presentWilson H. Elkins Professor (1987-1993) and Distinguished University Professor and Regents Professor (1993-present), University of Maryland, College Park (Md.).

1992 – 1995Member, Advisory Board, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara.

1995Awarded Lars Onsager Prize, American Physical Society.

Occupation

Condensed matter physicist.

Places

Birth

Trinidad

Undergraduate Education

London (England)

Graduate Education

London (England)

Employment

Ithaca (N.Y.)

College Park (Md.)

Subjects

Condensed matter.

Phase transformations (Statistical physics).

Renormalization (Physics).

Statistical mechanics.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Nelson, David R., 1951-

Advised by Fisher at Cornell University, "Applications of the Renormalization to Critical Phenomena."

Colleagues

Ashcroft, Neil W.

Both employed at Cornell University.

Bethe, Hans A. (Hans Albrecht), 1906-2005

Both employed at Cornell University.

Corson, Dale R.

Both employed at Cornell University.

Debye, Peter J. W. (Peter Josef William), 1884-1966

Both employed at Cornell University.

Drake, James (James F.)

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Drell, Persis S.

Both employed at Cornell University.

Gates, S. James

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Greisen, Kenneth

Both employed at Cornell University.

Griem, Hans R.

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Jain, Jainendra K.

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Kinoshita, T. (Toichiro)

Both employed at Cornell University.

Krumhansl, J. A. (James A.)

Both employed at Cornell University.

Langenberg, D. N., 1932-

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Lee, David M.

Both employed at Cornell University.

Misner, Charles W.

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Phillips, William D. (William Daniel), 1948-

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Sagdeev, R. Z.

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Spitzer, Frank, 1926-

Both employed at Cornell University.

Webb, R. A. (Richard Alan)

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Weeks, John David

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Williams, Ellen D.

Both employed at University of Maryland.

Wilson, Kenneth G. (Kenneth Geddes), 1936-2013

Both employed at Cornell University.

Wilson, Robert R., 1914-2000

Both employed at Cornell University.

Institutions

Major Positions

Cornell University. Department of Chemistry

Professor of Chemistry; Chair, Department of Chemistry; and Horace White Professor of Chemistry.

Cornell University. Department of Mathematics

Professor of Mathematics and Horace White Professor of Mathematics.

Cornell University. Department of Physics

Horace White Professor of Physics.

King's College (University of London)

Obtained BSc and PhD in Physics (1957). Lecturer in Theoretical Physics; Reader; and Professor of Physics.

Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research

Guest Investigator.

University of Maryland at College Park. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Wilson H. Elins Professor and Distinguished University Professor and Regents Professor.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

Received 1970 Irving Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics and 1995 Lars Onsager Prize.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Foreign Associate.

Royal Society (Great Britain)

Fellow.

Wolf Foundation Prizes

Received 1980 Wolf Foundation Prize in Physics.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Gibbs Symposium records, 1964-1989.

Manuscripts and Archives

Yale University Library

Box 208240, New Haven, CT 06520, USA

Joint ceremonial session of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers [sound recording], 1973.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Oral history interview with Kenneth G. Wilson, 1991 December 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA