Nobel Laureate and MacArthur Fellow Among Those Named to Society for Science List of Notable Alumni

Changemakers competed in the Science Talent Search and the International Science and Engineering Fair

December 19, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Society for Science added six impressive alumni to our “Notable Alumni” list, which highlights alumni of our Science Talent Search (STS), International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and middle school STEM competition who embody the principles of leadership, innovation and global impact.

The webpage, which can be viewed here, includes individual profiles with contemporary assets highlighting lasting contributions these alumni have made to their field, as well as archival Society content from their competition experience. The list was launched in March 2022, with more than 100 alumni, and the Society plans to add to this list as the organization’s more than 70,000 alumni continue to contribute to their fields.

The additions are:

  • Physicist Charles H. Bennett, who is considered one of the founding fathers of quantum information theory and won the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics;
  • Software developer and entrepreneur Greg Brockman, who is one of the leading voices in AI technology and cofounded OpenAI;
  • Physicist John Clauser, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2022 for his work in quantum entanglement;
  • Louise Schmir Hay, a celebrated mathematician best known for her work in mathematical logic, recursive enumerable sets and computational complexity theory;
  • Four-star Admiral Cecil D. Haney, who held several command positions throughout his service; and
  • Microsoft Computer scientist Lester Mackey, who was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2023.

“We are pleased to celebrate the important contributions to science that these six alumni have made,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science and Executive Publisher of Science News. “The Society is honored to have played a role in supporting these distinguished individuals at the beginning of their scientific journeys.”

Each alumnus was named to the list, based on their professional accomplishments and lasting contributions to advancing science and improving the world in which we live. The list was created in celebration of the Society for Science’s centennial year and includes Nobel laureates, entrepreneurs, MacArthur Fellows, pioneers, National Medal of Science and Technology recipients, and even Emmy and Oscar-winners.

About Society for Science 

Society for Science is a champion for science, dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Established in 1921, Society for Science is best known for its award-winning journalism through Science News and Science News Explores, its world-class science research competitions for students, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, and its outreach and equity programming that seeks to ensure that all students have an opportunity to pursue a career in STEM. A 501(c)(3) membership organization, Society for Science is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science)