John Beacom, professor, Departments of Physics and Astronomy and director of the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP), has been elected to a four-year term in the Chair line (members elected to the Chair line progress through the top offices in the division) of the Division of Astrophysics of the American Physical Society.

The Division of Astrophysics represents scientists working in many fields of astrophysics and cosmology within the American Physical Society (APS), the principal professional society in physics. The Chairs of APS divisions are chosen through votes of all division members. Beacom will serve as Vice-Chair in 2012-2013, Chair-Elect in 2013-2014, Chair in 2014-2015, and Past-Chair in 2015-2016.

This latest recognition is one of many marking Beacom’s upward trajectory in astrophysics. He received the coveted Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation in 2005--one of the highest and most significant awards for a young scientist, which recognizes the demonstrated potential for outstanding ongoing contributions to his/her field.

Beacom's main research interests lie at the intersection of the fields of astrophysics, particle physics, and nuclear physics, concerning mostly neutrinos-- nearly-noninteracting and nearly-massless elementary particles, and especially on neutrinos from astrophysical sources.

"In the past several years, there has been strong growth at this intersection, in part due to new results from the ongoing experiments. With several new and powerful detectors being constructed, much more progress is expected," Beacom said. "Much of my work has been focused on providing theoretical input to what can be measured in neutrino experiments and the implications of the results, for both physics and astrophysics."

The fundamental goal of Beacom's work is to help turn "neutrino astronomy" from a near-oxymoron into an observational science and to develop its theoretical consequences for both physics and astronomy.

Beacom also has received honors for teaching. In 2009, he received Ohio State’s Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, and in 2008, the Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award. In 2009, he received the Outstanding Referee award, a lifetime award, from the American Physical Society.

Ohio State has been well-represented in the APS leadership. Ohio State Physics faculty recently elected to the Chair line in other APS Divisions include Lou DiMauro, the Dr. Edward E. and Sylvia Hagenlocker Chair and Professor of Physics (Division of Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics); and John Wilkins, Ohio Eminent Scholar and Professor of Physics (Division of Condensed Matter Physics).