ANN ARBOR – An $8 million gift from the Leinweber Foundation will expand opportunities for students and faculty from the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics in the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts to study fundamental questions in particle physics and the evolution of our universe.
In recognition of the gift, the center will be permanently renamed the Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics.
The foundation is led by Michigan-based software entrepreneur Larry Leinweber and Claudia Babiarz of Bloomfield Hills. The gift will provide resources to attract top physics talent, expand research, and better understand theoretical physics, including elementary particle theory and cosmology. The endowment also establishes the Leinweber Fellows program in LSA’s Department of Physics and provides support for conferences, visiting faculty and fellowships for students studying theoretical physics.
The Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics, based in LSA’s Department of Physics, promotes excellence in theoretical physics research through workshops, conferences and seminars. Students and faculty at the center explore new findings through research and collaboration to promote discoveries in astrophysics, particle physics, cosmology, string theory and gravitation, among other topics.
“The Leinweber Foundation’s gift will allow the physics department to grow in its support of the best young theorists in the country,” said Bradford Orr, chair of the Department of Physics and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor. “This support is crucial for the advancement of science and production of the next generation of researchers. These are very exciting times in physics and the Leinweber Foundation has helped push Michigan to the forefront.”
In recent years, the center has brought more than 2,000 national and international experts to the Ann Arbor campus for meetings on diverse topics ranging from the Higgs boson, a fundamental discovery in particle physics, to the study of cosmic microwave background—the afterglow of the Big Bang.
“The Leinweber Foundation’s gift enables the center to continue to promote excellence in theoretical physics. Their gift will be essential in attracting the top young talent to Michigan and empowering cutting-edge discoveries in exciting, fundamental directions. It also allows Michigan to remain a nexus for conferences and workshops – a place where leading physicists gather to discuss breakthroughs and generate new ones. We’re so grateful for this generous support,” said Aaron Pierce, director of the Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics.
