Helen Edwards Chosen for 1988 MacArthur Fellowship
On Tuesday, July 19, 1988, Helen T. Edwards, Head of the Fermilab Accelerator Division, was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in recognition of her efforts as one of those instrumental in the successful construction and commissioning of Fermilab's TEVATRON. MacArthur Fellowships take the form of cash grants which the recipient may use to any end he or she chooses.
Upon notification of the award, Edwards said: "High-energy physics is a strong group activity. As such, it's important to recognize the many hundreds of people who contributed their intellects, expertise, and years of effort to the development, construction, and successful operation of the TEVATRON. This award is accepted on their behalf, and in recognition of the importance of all basic research and the basic research carried on at Fermilab."
Edwards plans to use the grant monies, $315,000 over 5 years, in support of basic research education in general and accelerator research education in particular.
Leon M. Lederman, Fermilab's Director, issued this statement on behalf of the Laboratory: "Helen Edwards has been an important member of the Fermilab accelerator team since the beginning of the Laboratory, circa 1970. In 1979, she became co-leader of the team charged with the construction of the world's first superconducting synchrotron - the 4-mile particle accelerator which was designed to raise the energy of the Fermilab machine from 400 GeV to close to 1000 GeV. This effort, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, was successful in 1983, making Fermilab the highest energy laboratory in the world.
"Today she heads the Fermilab Accelerator Division and is responsible for the operation of the complex of accelerators that includes the TEVATRON Collider where 900-GeV protons collide with 900-GeV anti protons. She is also leading the effort to improve the accelerator in order to assure the ability to continue incisive research in the structure of matter."
In 1985, Edwards was one of the first recipients of the Achievements in Accelerator Physics and Technology Prize awarded each year by the US Particle Accelerator School. In 1986, Edwards was awarded one of six Ernest O. Lawrence Awards for that year by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary John S. Herrington.