William Happer is professor of physics emeritus at Princeton University. He is a pioneer in the field of optically polarized atoms and has developed rigorous theories to analyze atomic physics experiments. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He was awarded the 1997 Broida Prize and the 1999 Davisson-Germer Prize of the American Physical Society. From 1991 to 1993, he served as director of energy research at the Department of Energy, where he oversaw a basic research budget of roughly $3 billion. He later chaired the National Academy of Sciences’ Panel on Nuclear and Radiological Issues and the National Research Council’s standing committee on improvised explosive devices.
November 2025
William Happer is professor of physics emeritus at Princeton University. He is a pioneer in the field of optically polarized atoms and has developed rigorous theories to analyze atomic physics experiments. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He was awarded the 1997 Broida Prize and the 1999 Davisson-Germer Prize of the American Physical Society. From 1991 to 1993, he served as director of energy research at the Department of Energy, where he oversaw a basic research budget of roughly $3 billion. He later chaired the National Academy of Sciences’ Panel on Nuclear and Radiological Issues and the National Research Council’s standing committee on improvised explosive devices.
November 2025