Awards

Bicentennial Medal - 2019

About Richard Van Kooten

Rick Van Kooten is the executive dean and professor of physics at IUB's College of Arts and Sciences. Growing up in Canada, Van Kooten earned his undergraduate degree in engineering science from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University. A particle physicist, Van Kooten has written or co-written more than 750 publications and has served as a scientific associate at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) and research scientist at the University of Hamburg. Van Kooten chaired the Fermi National Laboratory Physics Advisory Committee, as well as serving on a committee that set out the current long-term plan for particle physics in the U.S.

Van Kooten served as chair of the Department of Physics in IUB's College of Arts & Sciences, and four years as IUB's vice provost for research. During his years as vice provost for research, Van Kooten became familiar with and acquired a deep appreciation for the broad range of disciplines, departments, and scholarly and creative activity across the campus fostering close input and expertise from many diverse sources while still appreciating and valuing the concentrated scholarship of the single researcher.

Van Kooten received the IU Bicentennial Medal in August 2019 in recognition of his service as executive dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington and member of the president's executive cabinet.