Recognition & Honors
Claudia Ratti: Ratti, M.D. Anderson professor of physics, has been awarded five competitive grants totaling more than $2 million from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Her research focuses on the behavior of matter under extreme conditions—such as those following the Big Bang or inside neutron stars—advancing the global understanding of quantum chromodynamics. These prestigious awards underscore her leadership in nuclear physics and her role in shaping the next generation of scientists.
P. Shiv Halasyamani: Halasyamani, professor of Chemistry, was named a Karcher-Barton Awardee Lecturer for the University of Oklahoma’s 2025-2026 Frontiers in Chemical Research seminar series. This prestigious honor recognizes his groundbreaking contributions to inorganic and materials chemistry, placing him among world-renowned scientists, including Nobel Prize winners and National Academy of Sciences members.
Physics - UH NSM ALICE Team: The University of Houston’s ALICE group was awarded the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their work at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. Recognized for advancing the understanding of the strong force and early-universe conditions, the UH team contributed to the ALICE collaboration’s groundbreaking research on quark-gluon plasma and exotic matter. Often referred to as the “Oscars of Science,” the Breakthrough Prize celebrates transformative achievements in fundamental physics on a global scale. Current UH faculty and researchers named in the award are Rene Bellwied, Adel Bensaoula, Fabio Catalano, Wenqing Fan, Sabrina Hernandez, Iris Likmeta, Lawrence Pinsky, Omar Vazquez Rueda, Fernanda Cabrera Torres, and Anthony Timmins.