George Benedek
American physicist (1928–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Bernard Benedek (December 1, 1928 – July 5, 2026) was an American physicist and the Alfred H. Caspary Professor Emeritus of Physics and Biological Physics and of Health Sciences and Technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[1][2][3][4]
Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
George Benedek | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 1, 1928 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 5, 2026 (aged 97) |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Occupations | Physicist Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Inventor of quasi-elastic light scattering spectroscopy |
Benedek graduated BS in physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1949, AM in physics at Harvard University in 1952 and PhD in physics from Harvard University in 1953; he was a doctoral student of Edward Mills Purcell.[3]
Benedek died in Winchester, Massachusetts, on July 5, 2026, at the age of 97.[5] He was the father of Emily Benedek.
Awards and honors
Benedek invented quasi-elastic light scattering spectroscopy and in 1962 was made a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
- American Physical Society Fellow (1962)
- National Academy of Sciences Member (1981)
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences Member (1988)
- Irving Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics (APS) (1995) "For his outstanding invention of dynamic light scattering spectroscopy and its fundamental applications to critical phenomena, macromolecular transport, and ocular diseases."
- The Vinci of Excellence "Science for Art" Prize (1995)
- Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's (ARVO) Proctor Medal (1997) for "outstanding research in basic or clinical sciences as applied to ophthalmology"[6]
