The Alexander Prize is named for former UT president and now US Senator Lamar Alexander and his wife, Honey. It recognizes superior teaching and distinguished scholarship.
Anthony Mezzacappa
Anthony Mezzacappa is the Newton W. and Wilma C. Thomas Chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and served as director of the Joint Institute for Computational Sciences. Prior to joining the university, he was a corporate fellow at ORNL, where he created a world-leading supernova research program. He held postdoctoral appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed his PhD and BS degrees, both in physics, at the University of Texas and M.I.T., respectively.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
As a Volunteer, I have the opportunity to work in a world-class physics department at a flagship state university to advance our understanding of our cosmic origins, explore the rich physics of Einstein’s theory of gravity, and probe the physics of some of nature’s elementary particles. I have the opportunity to teach, to expose our students to the beauty of physics, to provide them with opportunities to participate in what has been for me a fantastic journey, and, best of all, to change lives.