Tuesday, May 14, 2018 – The Canadian Association of Physicists is today recognizing Jean-Michel Poutissou, TRIUMF Researcher Emeritus and past Science/Associate Lab Director, with the 2018 CAP Lifetime Achievement in Physics Award for lifelong contributions to the field of experimental particle physics.
A career dedicated to TRIUMF
Jean-Michel joined TRIUMF in 1972 to lead the construction of Beamline 1A (BL1A), the very beamline he would later use to help establish a world-class program of meson rare-decay measurements which set the world’s best limits on extensions to the Standard Model. His decades-long career includes pioneering work on precision measurements of rare decays, ground-breaking work on the use of off-axis neutrino beams for studying neutrino oscillations, and over 20 years of leadership and stewardship as TRIUMF’s Science/Associate Director.
Today, Jean-Michel is still a fixture at TRIUMF. As a Researcher Emeritus and Chair of the TRIUMF Alumni and Retirees Association (TARA), he continues to support TRIUMF’s science programs and the lab community as an expert consultant, a community organizer, and mentor.
“I was sitting in my car, waiting for the ferry back to the mainland, when I got the call notifying me that I’d won the Lifetime Achievement Award. I was absolutely delighted. Then I missed my ferry!” Jean-Michel laughed.
“I’m thrilled. It means so much to be recognized by your peers, especially at TRIUMF. Everyone I’ve been working alongside, colleagues who have been watching what I’ve been up to and following my career… it means so much to have been nominated by such an exceptional community,” said Jean-Michel. “Truly, it feels a little surreal to think of other TRIUMF winners –Alan Astbury and Eric Vogt both come to mind, as well as Art McDonald, who shared a Nobel Prize in 2015 – I find myself in exemplary company!”
Introduced in 1956, the Medal aims to recognize distinguished service to physics over an extended period and/or recent outstanding achievement. We hope you join us in taking this opportunity to congratulate Jean-Michel and celebrate his decades-long career dedicated to our lab and our community.
Jean-Michel will be presented with his medal at a Medallists' Recognition Banquet in Halifax on Wednesday, June 13, 2018. The full press release can be found here