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University Researchers Part of Recognition for the CERN’s Large Hadron Collider Experiments

News — STONY BROOK, NY—April 10, 2025—Members of the Stony Brook University Department of Physics and Astronomy were recently among the recipients of the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics in recognition of their experimental collaborations with CERN’s (“Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire” or “European Organization for Nuclear Research”) Large Hadron Collider (LHC).  The Prize – popularly known as the “Oscars® of Science” – was created to celebrate the wonders of the scientific age by founding sponsors Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki.

The Stony Brook researchers, led by Profs. Arnold, Dao, Engelmann (ret.), Hobbs, Jia, McCarthy (ret.), Piacquadio, Rijssenbeek (ret.), Schamberger and Tsybyshev and Dr. Bee, are part of the team working on the  (A Toroidal LHC Apparatus) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The Stony Brook team led and made key contributions to a number of the topics in the prize citation, especially those relating to measurements associated with the Higgs boson particle properties in the decay modes to pairs of , pairs of , and . The group is also the lead NSF institution for U.S. contributions to ATLAS operations, software, and computing. Three additional teams working on experiments at CERN  (Compact Muon Solenoid), (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) and (Large Hadron Collider beauty) were also recipients of the prize.

“Stony Brook’s HEP-ATLAS team has contributed significantly to our understanding of physics, from what could be in dark matter to the Higgs boson particle, and I sincerely congratulate them on the work that has earned them this tremendous recognition,” said Carl W. Lejuez, executive vice president and provost. “Moreover, this prize recognizes that scientific discoveries come from teams of scientists working together across academic departments, institutions, and countries. These collaborations are critical to advance our understanding of the world around us and to empower us to answer profound questions and begin to address critical issues facing society, the planet, and perhaps even beyond.” 

The prize was awarded to the collaborations for their “detailed measurements of Higgs boson properties confirming the symmetry-breaking mechanism of mass generation, the discovery of new strongly interacting particles, the study of rare processes and matter-antimatter asymmetry, and the exploration of nature at the shortest distances and most extreme conditions at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.” ).

“The Stony Brook HEP-ATLAS group has been making significant contributions to the ATLAS experiment since the inception of the collaboration and the experiment,” said  Chang Kee Jung, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “I’m glad that the LHC experiments are being recognized for their achievements by the Breakthrough Foundation and very proud of our HEP-ATLAS group members.  In the era of mega science, often the contributions by many deserving scientists can be underappreciated. So, the Breakthrough Foundation is doing something that reflects the realities of modern science, and I believe it sends a very positive message to the experimental particle/nuclear physics fields and big science in general.” 

This year’s Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to thousands of researchers from more than 70 countries representing the four experimental collaborations. In consultation with the leaders of the experiments, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation will donate 100 percent of the $3 million  prize funds to the CERN & Society Foundation. The prize money will be used by the collaborations to offer grants for doctoral students from member institutes to spend research time at CERN, giving the students experience working at the forefront of science and new expertise to bring back to their home countries and regions.

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About Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University is New York’s flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 26,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 225,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world’s biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #58 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. 麻豆传媒 & World Report’s Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook’s membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook  and X.