Jennifer Beth Bergner Receives NRAO Robert L. Brown Dissertation Award

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is pleased to announce that Jennifer Beth Bergner is the winner of the 2019 NRAO/AUI Robert L. Brown Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, for her Harvard Dissertation, “Tracing Organic Complexity During Star and Planet Formation." Dr. Bergner’s research impressively delineates how the properties of complex organic molecules can serve as a guide to the poorly understood chemical history of planetary systems and low-mass stars. Her innovative laboratory experiments have opened an exciting new path for understanding the complicated organic chemistry during the delivery of prebiotic material to future planets via a protoplanetary disk. The award recognizes Dr. Bergner’s thoughtful application of her laboratory results for interpreting spectral observations of low-mass stars obtained at ALMA.

The Robert L. Brown Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award is administered by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) and NRAO on behalf of Bob Brown’s friends and family to honor Bob’s life and career. The award is given each year to a recent recipient of a doctoral degree from any recognized degree granting institution in the United States, and is substantially based on new observational data obtained at any NRAO/AUI facility and considered to be of an exceptionally high scientific standard. The award is available to degree recipients of any nationality and consists of $1,000, a framed certificate, and an invitation to give a colloquium at the NRAO. The 2019 award presentation and Dr. Bergner’s presentation will take place at NRAO in Charlottesville, VA on 30 April 2020.  

Applications for the 2020 award should be sent to [email protected] before 31 December 2020.