FACULTY AWARD: Spergel receives Dannie Heineman Prize for work in understanding universe

David Spergel, Princeton University's Charles A. Young Professor of Astronomy on the Class of 1897 Foundation and chair of the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, has received one of the top prizes in astronomy for his breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe. The American Astronomical Society and the American Institute of Physics presented Spergel and co-winner Marc Kamionkowski, a professor of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, with the 2015 Dannie Heineman Prize, which honors oustanding mid-career scientists and carries a cash prize of $10,000. Spergel and Kamionkowski were recognized for their "outstanding contributions to the investigation of the fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background that have led to major breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe."