Woman Physicist Accepts Position

Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences Melissa Franklin will be the first-ever woman senior faculty member of the Physics Department, department officials said yesterday.

Franklin, a high energy particle physicist, was offered tenure last June, and accepted the offer last month.

Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences Isaac F. Silvera called Franklin an "unconventional thinker" who "is going to be one of the bright stars of the high energy future."

"I'm delighted that she accepted," Silvera said. "I think she's going to be a great new addition to our department."

John E. Huth, a scientist at the Fermi Institute in West Chicago, Ill. and a colleague of Franklin's, was also offered tenure last spring. Huth said he was "still discussing details" of his offer with Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles.

Both Franklin and Huth are involved in research on the sixth or "top" quark and the w particle. The sixth quark is believed to be the last undiscovered part of the atom.

Huth said a high-precision measurement of the mass of the sixth quark and the w particle could lead to a new understanding of the generation of mass in the universe.

Franklin is co-leader of a group attempting to measure the w particle, while Huth is studying the top quark. Both are working with 400 scientists in Japan,the U.S. and Italy investigating the StandardModel of electromagnetic theory.

Huth and Franklin met in 1981 while working asgraduate students at the Stanford LinearAccelerator. Since then, they have collaborated ona number of projects involving the particleaccelerator at Fermi.

Senior Lecturer on Physics Margaret E. Law saidFranklin was the third internal promotion in thedepartment in three years, a high number forHarvard's departments.

"She's an exciting person to have around," Lawsaid.

Franklin served as a junior fellow in thePhysics Department before being appointedassistant professor in 1989. In 1991, she waspromoted to associate professor.

Franklin teaches several courses, includingPhysics 15c, "Introductory Physics: WavePhenomena," and Physics 319, "Topics inExperimental High Energy Physics.

Huth and Franklin met in 1981 while working asgraduate students at the Stanford LinearAccelerator. Since then, they have collaborated ona number of projects involving the particleaccelerator at Fermi.

Senior Lecturer on Physics Margaret E. Law saidFranklin was the third internal promotion in thedepartment in three years, a high number forHarvard's departments.

"She's an exciting person to have around," Lawsaid.

Franklin served as a junior fellow in thePhysics Department before being appointedassistant professor in 1989. In 1991, she waspromoted to associate professor.

Franklin teaches several courses, includingPhysics 15c, "Introductory Physics: WavePhenomena," and Physics 319, "Topics inExperimental High Energy Physics.