Awards & Recognition
Hertz Thesis Prize
The Hertz Thesis Prize recognizes fellows who publish exemplary doctoral theses with applications to real-world problems. Winners receive a $5,000 honorarium.
exemplary graduate work
Since 1981, more than 60 fellows have been recognized with the Hertz Thesis Prize. Much of their work has led to successful patents, the formation of influential companies and contributed solutions to some of our most pressing challenges.
award details
How to Nominate
All fellows are eligible during the calendar year that their thesis is completed. To be considered, fellows are required to submit a copy of their dissertation to the foundation after completing their PhD. Please contact us to submit your thesis or learn more about the prize.
Thesis Prize Winners
The winners need to have a picture and a short blurb about their work.
2024
Reuben Saunders
Pooled genetic screens with rich readouts at scale and in vivo
2023
Alex Brown
Coordination chemistry of Fe–S clusters supported by N–heterocyclic carbenes
2022
Hannah Larson
Brill–Noether theory over the Hurwitz space
2021
Kurtis Carsch
Ligand Field Inversion in Sterically Confined Copper Architectures
2020
Ravi Sheth
New Tools for Understanding and Engineering Complex Microbial Communities
2019
Jenny Schloss
Optimizing Nitrogen-Vacancy Diamond Magnetic Sensors and Imagers for Broadband Sensitivity
Sam Rodriques
Mapping Cell Types, Dynamics, and Connections in Neural Circuits
2018
Eric Larson
The Maximal Rank Conjecture
2017
Kyle Loh
A Developmental Roadmap for the Diversification of Human Tissue fates from Pluripotent Cells
2016
Paul Tillberg
Expansion Microscopy: Improving Imaging Through Uniform Tissue Expansion
2015
Jeff Weber
Far-From-Equilibrium Phenomena In Protein Dynamics
2014
Joseph Rosenthal
Engineered outer membrane vesicles derived from probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 as recombinant subunit antigen carriers for the development of pathogen-mimetic vaccines
Matt Pelliccione
Local Imaging of High Mobility Two-Dimensional Electron Systems with Virtual Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
2013
Alex Hegyi
Nanodiamond Imaging: a New Molecular Imaging Approach
2012
Dario Amodei
Network-Scale Electrophysiology: Measuring and Understanding the Collective Behavior of Neural Circuits
Vince Holmberg
Semiconductor Nanowires: From a Nanoscale System to a Macroscopic Material
Daniel Slichter
Quantum Jumps and Measurement Backaction in a Superconducting Qubit
2011
Anna Bershteyn
Lipid-coated micro- and nanoparticles as a biomimetic vaccine delivery platform
Kevin Esvelt
A System for the Continuous Directed Evolution of Biomolecules
Monika Schleier-Smith
Cavity-Enabled Spin Squeezing for a Quantum-Enhanced Atomic Clock
2010
Erez Lieberman-Aiden
Evolution and the Emergence of Structure
2009
Paul Podsiadlo
Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Nanostructured Composites: Mechanics and Applications
Mikhail Shapiro
Genetically Engineered Sensors for Non-Invasive Molecular Imaging using MRI
2008
Alex Wissner-Gross
Physically Programmable Surfaces
2007
Lily Childress
Coherent manipulation of single quantum systems in the solid state
Chris Loose
The Production, Design, and Application of Antimicrobial Peptides
Cindy Regal
Experimental realization of BCS-BEC crossover physics with a Fermi gas of atoms
2006
Ed Boyden
Task-Specific Neural Mechanisms of Memory Encoding
2005
Cameron Geddes
Plasma Channel Guided Laser Wakefield Accelerator
2004
Youssef Marzouk
Vorticity Structure and Evolution in a Transverse Jet with New Algorithms for Scalable Particle Simulation
2003
Chip Kent
New Quantum Monte Carlo Algorithms to Efficiently Utilize Massively Parallel Computers
2002
Dan Steck
Quantum Chaos, Transport, and Decoherence in Atom Optics
2001
Krishna Nayak
Fast Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging
2000
Joseph Thywissen
Internal State Manipulation for Neutral Atom Lithography
1999
Andrew Thiel
Detection of DNA Hybridization to Oligonucleotide Arrays on Gold Surfaces Using In Situ Surface Plasmon Resonance and Fluorescence Imaging Techniques
1998
Adam Woolley
Microfabricated Integrated DNA Analysis Systems
1997
Eli Glezer
Ultrafast Electronic and Structural Dynamics in Solids
Deirdre Olynick
In-Situ Studies of Copper Nano-Particles Using a Novel Tandem Ultra-High Vacuum Particle Production Chamber Transmission Electron Microscope
1996
Andrew Miklich
Low-Frequency Noic in High-Tc Superconductor Josephson Junctions, SQUIDS, and Magnetometers
Krishna Shenoy
Monolithic Optoelectronic VLSI Ciruit Design and Fabrication for Optical Interconnects
1995
Eric Altschuler
The Movement Rehearsal Paradigm Is a Mental Communication Channel
1994
Richard Braatz
Robust Loopsharing for Process Control
1992
Rob Barrett
Development and Applications of Atomic Force Microscopy
Ken Shepard
Electron Transport in Mesoscopic Conductors
1990
Paul Shuch
Near Midair Collisions as an Indicator of General Aviation Collision Risk
1989
Neil McCasland
Sensor and Actuator Selection for Fault-Tolerant Control of Flexible Structures
1988
Klaus Beiersdorfer
High-Resolution Studies of the X-Ray Transitions in Highly Charged Neonlike Ions on the PLT Tokamak
Michael Reed
Si-SiO2 Interface Trap Anneal Kinetics
Eric Swartz
Solid-Solid Thermal Boundary Resistance
1987
Douglas Bowman
High Speed Polycrystalline Silicon Photoconductors for On-Chip Pulsing and Gating
Brian Heffner
Switchable Optical Fiber Taps Using the Acousto-Optic Bragg Interaction
Dale Stuart
A Guidance Algorithm for Cooperative Tether-Mediated Orbital Rendezvous
Aryeh Weiss
Real Time Control of the Permeability of Crosslinked Polyelectrolyte Membranes to Fluorescent Solutes
1986
Joel Fajans
Radiation Measurements of an Intermediate Energy Free Electron Laser
Larry West
Spectroscopy of GaAs Quantum Wells
1985
Stephen Boyd
Volterra Series: Engineering Fundamentals
Steven Hall
A Failure Detection Algorithm for Linear Dynamic Systems
Danny Hillis
The Connection Machine
1984
Michel Floyd
Single-Step Optimal Control of Large Space Structures
David Tuckerman
Heat Transfer Microstructures for Integrated Circuits
Andy Weiner
Femtosecond Optical Pulse Generation and Dephasing Measurements in Condensed Matter
1983
Ely Sachs
Edge Stabilized Ribbon Growth; A New Method for the Manufacture of Photovoltaic Substrates
1982
Mike Farmwald
On the Design of High Performance Digital Arithmetic Units
Curt Widdoes
Automatic Physical Design of Large Wire-wrap Digital Systems
1981
Charles Leiserson
Area-Efficient VLSI Computation
Tom McWilliams
Verification of Timing Constraints on Large Digital Systems
Sherman Chan
Small Signal Control of Multiterminal DC/AC Power Systems
Peter Hagelstein
Physics of Short Wavelength Laser Design
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The Hertz Community
From day one, Hertz Fellows are supported by a network that nurtures curiosity, connection and collaboration. These lifelong bonds drive discoveries and deliver innovations that impact lives —across the nation and the world.
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