Joseph Gerard Polchinski

Biography

Abstract

Joseph Polchinski is Professor of Physics at University of California, Santa Barbara (1992-present). Other institutional affiliations include University of Texas, Austin, Harvard University, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). His research interests include string theory, cosmic strings and superstrings, and black hole information problems.

Important Dates

May 16, 1954Birth, White Plains (N.Y.).

1975Obtained BA, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1980Obtained PhD in Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1980 – 1982Research Associate, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

1982 – 1984Research Associate, Harvard University.

1984 – 1992Assistant Professor of Physics (1984-1987); Associate Professor of Physics (1987-1990); and Professor of Physics (1990-1992), University of Texas, Austin, Austin (Tex.).

1986 – 1988Member, Experimental Program Advisory Committee, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

1990 – 1997Member, Advisory Board, Theoretical Advanced Studies Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder.

1992 – presentProfessor of Physics, and Permanent Member, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara (Calif.).

1997Fellow, American Physical Society.

1999 – 2004General Member, Aspen Center for Physics.

2000 – 2003Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, Perimeter Institute.

2002Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

2005Member, National Academy of Sciences.

2007Awarded Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics, American Physical Society.

February 2, 2018Death, Santa Barbara (Calif.).

Occupation

Theoretical physicist.

Places

Birth

White Plains (N.Y.)

Undergraduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Graduate Education

Berkeley (Calif.)

Employment

Austin (Tex.)

Santa Barbara (Calif.)

Death

Santa Barbara (Calif.)

Subjects

Black holes (Astronomy).

String theory.

Superstring theories.

Theoretical physics.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Mandelstam, Stanley

PhD advisor at University of California, Berkeley, "Vortex operators in gauge field theories."

Colleagues

Ahlers, G. (Günter)

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Awschalom, D. (David)

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Bloembergen, N.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Coleman, Sidney, 1937-2007

Both employed at Harvard University.

DeWitt, Bryce S. (Bryce Seligman), 1923-2004

Both employed at University of Texas, Austin.

Dorfan, Jonathan

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Drell, Sidney D. (Sidney David), 1926-

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Furry, W. H. (Wendell Hinkle), 1907-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Georgi, Howard

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glashow, Sheldon L.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Gross, David J. (David Jonathan)

Both employed at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Guth, Alan H.

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Halperin, Bertrand I.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Hartle, J. B. (James B.)

Both employed at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Heeger, Alan J.

Both employed at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Horowitz, Gary T., 1955-

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Kimble, H. Jeff (Harry Jeffrey), 1949-

Both employed at University of Texas, Austin.

Kohn, Walter, 1923-2016

Both employed at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Langer, James S.

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Martin, Paul Cecil, 1931-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Nelson, David R., 1951-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Panofsky, Wolfgang K. H. (Wolfgang Kurt Hermann), 1919-2007

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Peale, Stanton Jerrold

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Perl, Martin L., 1927-2014

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Pound, Robert V.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Prescott, Charles

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Purcell, Edward M.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Quinn, Helen R.

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Ramsey, Norman, 1915-2011

Both employed at Harvard University.

Richter, Burton, 1931-2018

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Scalapino, Douglas J.

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Schrieffer, J. R. (John Robert), 1931-

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Steinhardt, Paul J.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Street, Jabez Curry, 1906-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Strominger, Andrew Eben

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Stubbs, Christopher

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Swinney, H. L., 1939-

Both employed at University of Texas, Austin.

Taylor, Richard Edward, 1929-2018

Both employed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Tinkham, Michael

Both employed at Harvard University.

Weinberg, Steven, 1933-

Both employed at University of Texas, Austin.

Wheeler, John Archibald, 1911-2008

Both employed at University of Texas, Austin.

Wise, Mark B., 1953-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Witherell, Michael S., 1949-

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Additional

Feynman, Richard P. (Richard Phillips), 1918-1988

Hooft, G. 't

Maldacena, Juan Martin, 1968-

Schwarz, John H.

Susskind, Leonard

Vafa, Cumrun

Witten, E.

Institutions

Major Positions

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Research Associate.

Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics

Permanent Member.

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

Research Associate and Member, Experimental Program Advisory Committee.

University of California, Santa Barbara. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics.

University of Texas at Austin. Department of Physics

Assistant Professor; Associate Professor; and Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Fellow.

American Physical Society

Fellow and received 2007 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics.

Aspen Center for Physics

General Member.

California Institute of Technology. Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

Obtained BA (1975).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

Member, Scientific Advisory Committee.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Obtained PhD (1980).

University of Colorado Boulder

Member, Advisory Board, Theoretical Advanced Studies Institute.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Oral history interview with Joseph Polchinski, 2009 March 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

String theory / Joseph Polchinski.

Subject

Joseph Gerard Polchinski Jr. Physics Today Obituary