Clinton recognizes Ostriker for contributions in astrophysics

Provost Jeremiah Ostriker was selected by President Clinton to receive a National Medal of Science on Monday. He was chosen to receive the award — one of the highest honors bestowed on a scientist — for his contributions to the field of astrophysics.

The National Medal of Science is administered each year by the National Science Foundation to 12 scientists who have made major contributions to their respective fields, which include social policy, biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics.

Ostriker played a key role in research that indicated the Universe is mostly dark matter. His research was conducted at a time when many astrophysicists believed that visible matter made up almost all of the Universe's mass.

He has also provided important contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of star clusters and galaxies and their formation process.

Ostriker will officially receive his award Dec. 1.

"These exceptional scientists and engineers have transformed our world and enhanced our daily lives," Clinton said in an announcement about the award. "Their imagination and ingenuity will continue to inspire future generations of American scientists to remain at the cutting edge of scientific discovery and technological innovation."

In addition to being a scholar, Ostriker serves as Provost — one of the University's highest-ranked administrators. He said balancing the work from both positions can sometimes be a challenge.

"Being a provost is a full-time job," he said. "I spend weekends, evenings and Friday afternoons at Peyton Hall."

"I'm incredibly busy," he added.

Ostriker became Provost in 1995. His duties include implementing and coordinating the University's policies and coordinating both the academic and nonacademic facets of the University.

In introducing him as the new provost at the time, Shapiro wrote, "Professor Ostriker is considered one of the leading theoretical astrophysicists in the world and has played a crucial role in the success of the astrophysical sciences at Princeton."

Ostriker, the Charles A. Young Professor of Astronomy, is currently studying numerical simulations — during which he feeds theories from physics into the computer to see what they predict.

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Then, by comparing these predictions to observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and other modern instruments, he can better judge the value and accuracy of certain cosmological theories.

Along with fellow University astrophysicist Paul Bode, he has also produced visualizations of cosmology that can be seen on the dome of the Hayden-Rose Planetarium in New York.