IUPAP Kennedy Reed Medal for Outstanding Contributions to the Enhancement of Physics in Developing Countries
The IUPAP Medal for Outstanding Contributions to the Enhancement of Physics in Developing Countries was established to promote and award excellence in the implementation of transformative initiatives that enhance the state of physics in one or more developing countries.
Since 2024 the medal was renamed as “IUPAP Kennedy Reed Medal for Outstanding Contributions to the Enhancement of Physics in Developing Countries”.
Kennedy Reed served IUPAP for seventeen years. He passed away in 2023. He started his work with IUPAP as a member of the IUPAP Commission on Physics for Development (C13) in 2002 and was the Chair of C13 in 2008-2011. He attracted the first International Council for Science (ICSU) grant which IUPAP received. He was then elected as the IUPAP nominee to the ICSU Executive Board, and in that capacity served on the ICSU committee for their Regional Office for Africa. He was elected as IUPAP President Designate at the General Assembly in 2015 and as President at the General Assembly in 2017. His work as President was made difficult by his illness, but he continued to work hard for IUPAP in spite of it until it became impossible to continue. His long standing involvement in improving the participation and recognition of minority groups, particularly women and Black Physicists, was a focus of his work for IUPAP, from the time he joined C13.
Medal
IUPAP medal, certificate and €3000. The Medal winner will receive the award during the convening of the IUPAP General Assembly, where the recipient will be invited to present a paper on the work upon which the Medal selection was made. The C13 Commission will provide travel expenses for the recipient to attend the General Assembly meeting.
Frequency
One Medal every three years. The C13 Commission will select the Medal winner in the year before the convening of the General Assembly. Thus, the inaugural Medal selection and presentation was done in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Winners
2023 – Malik Maaza
2020 – Paul Woafo
2017 – Jorge Flores Valdes
