Clifford M. Will

Biography

Abstract

Clifford Will is Distinguished Professor of Physics at University of Florida (2012-present). Other institutional affiliations include Washington University, St. Louis and Stanford University. His research interests include gravitational radiation, black holes, cosmology, the physics of curved spacetime, and the theoretical interpretation of experimental tests of general relativity.

Important Dates

November 13, 1946Birth, Hamilton (Ont.).

1968Obtained BSc in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, McMaster University, Hamilton (Ont.).

1971Obtained PhD in Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1971 – 1972Research Fellow and Instructor in Physics, California Institute of Technology.

1972 – 1974Enrico Fermi Fellow, Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago.

1974 – 1981Assistant Professor of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford (Calif.).

1981 – presentAssociate Professor of Physics, McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences (1981-1985); Professor of Physics, McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences (1985-2005); Chair, Department of Physics (1991-2002); James S. McDonnell Professor of Physics, McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences (2005-2012); and James S. McDonnell Professor of Space Sciences, Emeritus (2012-present), Washington University, St. Louis, St. Louis (Mo.).

1984 – 1986Chair, Committee on Accuracy of Time Transfers in Satellite Systems, Air Force Studies Board, National Research Council.

1986 – 1988Member, Astrophysics Management Operations Working Group, Astrophysics Council, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1988 – 1990Member, Introductory University Physics Project, American Association of Physics Teachers.

1988 – 1990Member, Executive Committee, Astrophysics Division, American Physical Society.

1988 – 1991Member, Science Coordinating Committee for Experimental Gravitation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1989 – 1991Member, Space Science Working Group, Association of American Universities.

1990Fellow, American Physical Society.

1990 – 1992Member, Committee on Fundamental Constants and Basic Standards, National Research Council.

1992 – 1993Member, Theory Panel, Satellite Test of the Equivalence Principle, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1992 – 1993Member, Task Force to Review Reviews of Modern Physics, American Physical Society.

1994 – 1996Member, Education Committee, American Physical Society.

1995 – 2004Member, Governing Committee, International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation.

1996Research Associate, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

1997Visiting Professor, Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University.

1997 – 1999Member, Discipline Working Group, Microgravity Physics, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1997 – 1999Member, Committee on Gravitational Physics, National Research Council.

1998 – 2007Chair, Science Advisory Committee, Gravity Probe B, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

2000 – 2001Chair, Topical Group on Gravitation, American Physical Society.

2000 – 2002Member, Committee on Physics of the University, National Research Council.

2000 – presentMember, Gravitational Wave International Committee.

2001Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

2004 – 2007President, International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation.

2006 – 2007Member, Beyond Einstein Program Assessment Committee, National Research Council.

2006 – presentResearch Associate, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

2007Member, National Academy of Sciences.

2012 – presentDistinguished Professor of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville (Fla.).

Occupation

Astrophysicist.

Places

Birth

Hamilton (Ont.)

Undergraduate Education

Hamilton (Ont.)

Graduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Employment

Stanford (Calif.)

St. Louis (Mo.)

Gainesville (Fla.)

Subjects

Astrophysics.

Black holes (Astronomy).

Cosmology.

General relativity (Physics).

Theoretical physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Moser, Leslie Saxe

Wife. Married in 1970.

Advisors & Collaborators

Thorne, Kip S.

PhD advisor at California Institute of Technology, "Theoretical frameworks for testing relativistic gravity; the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism." Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Colleagues

Anderson, Carl D. (Carl David), 1905-1991

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Anderson, Herbert Lawrence

Both employed at University of Chicago, Enrico Fermi Institute.

Bacher, Robert F. (Robert Fox), 1905-2004

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bardeen, William A.

Both employed at Stanford University.

Barish, B. C. (Barry Clark), 1936-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bjorken, James D.

Both employed at Stanford University.

Boehm, Felix

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Brown, Harold, 1927-2019

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Cabrera, Blas

Both employed at Stanford University.

Chodorow, Marvin

Both employed at Stanford University.

Christy, Robert F.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Dorfan, Jonathan

Both employed at Stanford University.

DuMond, Jesse W. M. (Jesse William Monroe), 1892-1976

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Fairbank, William Martin, 1917-1989

Both employed at Stanford University.

Fetter, Alexander L., 1937-

Both employed at Stanford University.

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

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Fowler, William A.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Freedman, Stuart J.

Both employed at Stanford University.

Gell-Mann, Murray

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Greene, Christopher Henry

Both employed at Stanford University.

Hänsch, T. W. (Theo W.), 1941-

Both employed at Stanford University.

Hofstadter, Robert, 1915-1990

Both employed at Stanford University.

Holdren, John P.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Kirkpatrick, Paul

Both employed at Stanford University.

Kryder, Mark H.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Lauritsen, Thomas, 1915-1973

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Leighton, Robert B.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Meyerhof, Walter E. (Walter Ernst), 1922-

Both employed at Stanford University.

Oddone, Piermaria J.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Parker, E. N. (Eugene Newman), 1927-

Both employed at University of Chicago, Enrico Fermi Institute.

Schawlow, Arthur L., 1921-1999

Both employed at Stanford University.

Schwartz, Melvin, 1932-2006

Both employed at Stanford University.

Sciulli, Frank J.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Shochet, Melvyn J.

Both employed at University of Chicago, Enrico Fermi Institute.

Susskind, Leonard

Both employed at Stanford University.

Tollestrup, Alvin

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Tsuei, Chang C.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Turner, Michael Stanley

Both employed at Stanford University.

Walecka, John Dirk, 1932-

Both employed at Stanford University.

Wilson, Robert R., 1914-2000

Both employed at University of Chicago, Enrico Fermi Institute.

Winstein, Bruce

Both employed at University of Chicago, Enrico Fermi Institute.

Wojcicki, Stanley G., 1937-

Both employed at Stanford University.

Zweig, George

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Additional

Bartusiak, Marcia, 1950-

Institutions

Major Positions

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

Obtained PhD (1971). Research Fellow and Instructor in Physics.

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France)

Research Associate.

Enrico Fermi Institute

Enrico Fermi Fellow.

Stanford University. Department of Physics

Assistant Professor of Physics.

Universitah ha-'Ivrit bi-Yerushalayim

Visiting Professor, Racah Institute of Physics.

University of Florida. Department of Physics

Distinguished Professor of Physics.

Washington University (Saint Louis, Mo.). Department of Physics

Associate Professor of Physics, McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences; Professor of Physics, McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences; Department Chair; James S. McDonnell Professor of Physics; McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences; and James S. McDonnell Professor of Space Sciences, Emeritus.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Fellow.

American Association of Physics Teachers

Member, Introductory University Physics Project.

American Physical Society

Fellow; Member, Executive Committee, Astrophysics Division; Member, Task Force to Review Reviews of Modern Physics; Member, Education Committee; and Chair, Topical Group on Gravitation.

Association of American Universities

Member, Space Science Working Group.

International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation.

Member, Governing Committee and President.

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics

Member, Gravitational Wave International Committee.

McMaster University. Department of Physics

Obtained BSc in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (1968).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

National Research Council (U.S.)

Chair, Committee on Accuracy of Time Transfer in Satellite Systems, Air Force Studies Board; Member, Committee on Fundamental Constants and Basic Standards; Member, Committee on the Gravitational Physics; Member, Committee on Physics of the Universe; and Member, Beyond Einstein Program Assessment Committee.

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Member, Astrophysics Management Operations Working Group, Astrophysics Council; Member, Science Coordinating Committee for Experimental Gravitation; Member, Theory Panel, Satellite Test of the Equivalence Principle; Member, Discipline Working Group, Microgravity Physics; and Chair, Science Advisory Committee, Gravity Probe B.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Marcia Bartusiak interviews conducted for her book "Einstein's Unfinished Symphony," 1998-1999.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Was Einstein right? : putting general relativity to the test / Clifford M. Will.