Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award
The Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award is for astronomy writing for an academic audience, specifically textbooks at either the upper-division undergraduate or graduate level.
The motivation for this choice is the fact that introductory textbooks and popular astronomy books have large markets and a number of existing modes of recognition and reward. Books serving astronomy majors and graduate students, by contrast, have relatively small markets and excellence in this area is rarely recognized. Nonetheless, such books serve a vital role in professional development.
Books suitable for this award must be currently available in North America. A single gold medal will be given, and if the winning book has multiple authors, the $1,000 monetary award will be divided, and multiple certificates will be issued.
Eligibility:
- Astronomy writing for an academic audience, specifically textbooks at either the upper-division undergraduate or graduate level.
- Books suitable for this award must be currently available in North America.
Criteria:
- Depth and Focus — the book covers the topic at a suitable depth for upper-echelon college or graduate-level courses.
- Organization — material is presented in a progressive way, to build the student’s knowledge and the tools required to apply what is learned.
- Clarity — information is presented clearly and logically with appropriate graphics, mathematics (as required), and development of physical concepts to inform and educate the user.
- Study aids and exercises for the student are appropriate for the material presented in the text and effectively contribute to the student’s mastery of the subject.
Self-nominations are allowed. Prize nominations are due on 30 June.
2024 - Viviana Acquaviva
2022 - Daniel Baumann
2023 - Emily M. Levesque
2023 - Henny J.G.L.M. Lamers
2020 - Thomas Burbine
2019 – David Branch and J. Craig Wheeler
2018 – Kevin Heng
2013 – George Rieke
2012 – Abraham (Avi) Loeb
2011 – Caleb A. Scharf
2010 – Hale Bradt
Year | Recipient(s) | Citation |
---|---|---|
2009 | Dan Maoz | For his textbook "Astrophysics in a Nutshell," which provides a wide-ranging treatment of topics from stellar structure to cosmology, this advanced undergraduate text explains crucial physics with sufficient depth to capture students' curiosity without getting lost in detail. |
2008 | Linda S. Sparke & John S. Gallagher | For their textbook “Galaxies in the Universe: An Introduction," which has been widely adopted in many upper division undergraduate and graduate courses. It serves as an excellent foundation and introduction for new researchers, providing background for, and synthesis of, the many diverse topics necessary to understand galaxies: stellar structure and evolution, the interstellar medium, radiative transfer, gravitational dynamics and gas dynamics. |
2007 | Imke De Pater & Jack Lissauer | For their book, “Planetary Astrophysics," an ambitious text, which surveys the entire field of planetary astronomy, at the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level. In the words of one nominating letter, it “has rapidly become the standard text for teachers of planetary sciences." |
2006 | Barbara Ryden |