The Hans Christian Oersted Medal of the American Association of Physics Teachers “recognizes those who have had an outstanding, widespread, and lasting impact on the teaching of physics,” and is often regarded as the highest recognition of achievement in the field of physics education. Of the 87 recipients of the Oersted Medal:
- 12 have been appointed to MIT’s Faculty,
- 5 held visiting faculty appointments,
- 12 were MIT physics graduates (7 undergraduate degrees, 10 graduate degrees),
- and 7 were members of the MIT Radiation Laboratory during WWII.
The Physics Education Group is proud to participate in the legacy of these extraordinary educators who both sprang from and helped create the environment of excellence in education in the MIT Department of Physics.
Highlighted text indicates medalists who were MIT faculty either at the time of the award or for a significant portion of the time when the work cited in the award was performed.
Roman numerals indicate MIT undergraduate Course, with VIII indicating 'Physics'.
2023 - S. James Gates Jr. (VIII/XVIII '73, PhD '77, MLK Visiting Professor '10-'11)
2021 - Shirley Ann Jackson (VIII '68, PhD '73, PSSC)
2020 - David Sokoloff (PhD '72)
2016 - John Winston Belcher (Physics Faculty '71-)
2013 - Edward F. (Joe) Redish (PhD '68)
2012 - Charles H. Holbrow (Visiting Professor '03-'23)
2009 - George F. Smoot (VIII/XVIII '66, PhD '71)
2008 - Mildred S. Dresselhaus (Physics Faculty '83-'17)
2007 - Carl Wieman (VIII '73)
2006 - Kenneth Ford (Postdoc '61-62)
2004 - Lawrence Krauss (PhD '82)
2000 - John G. King (VIII '50, PhD '53, Physics Faculty '53-'14)
1998 - Edwin F. Taylor (Visiting Professor '64-'66, Research Scientist '66-'90)
1997 - Daniel Kleppner (Physics Faculty '66-)
1989 - Anthony P. French (Physics Faculty '62-'17)
1988 - Norman F. Ramsey Jr. (Rad Lab)
1982 - I.I. Rabi (Rad Lab Associate Director '40-'46, Visiting Professor '56-'57)
1981 - Robert Karplus (Visiting Professor '73-'74)
1980 - Gerald Holton (Visiting Professor '76-'82)
1979 - Charles Kittel (Rad Lab Associate '45-'47)
1977 - H. Richard Crane (Rad Lab Associate '40-'41)
1976 - Victor F. Weisskopf (Physics Faculty '46-'02)
1972 - Richard P. Feynman (VIII '39)
1971 - Uri Haber-Schaim (Physics Faculty '56-'61)
1967 - Edward M. Purcell (Rad Lab Associate '40-'45)
1966 - Leonard I. Schiff (PhD '37)
1965 - Philip Morrison (Physics Faculty '64-'05)
1963 - Francis L. Friedman (PhD '49, Physics Faculty '50-'62)
1962 - Francis W. Sears (VIII '21, SM '24, Instructor '21-'29, Physics Faculty '29-'57)
1961 - Jerrold R. Zacharias (Rad Lab Associate '40-'45, Physics Faculty '46-'86)
1956 - George E. Uhlenbeck (Rad Lab Associate '43-'45)
1936 - William Suddards Franklin (Physics Faculty '17-'29, Inaugural Oersted Medal)