Sue Moore affiliate professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington was honored with the 2026 Kenneth S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Marine Mammalogy. The award recognizes exemplary lifetime contributions to science and society through research teaching and service in marine mammalogy. Sue Moore is a research scientist and affiliate professor at the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels in the Biology Department of the University of Washington a science adviser to the Washington State Academy of Sciences and was appointed Commissioner of the Marine Mammal Commission in 2022.
Over a 40 year career Moore research has focused on cetacean ecology, acoustics and natural history particularly in the Arctic. A prolific researcher she is widely recognized as a pioneer in using marine mammals as ecosystem sentinels in this rapidly changing region. Over decades of studying whales Moore has helped scientists understand the health of ocean environments and how they are changing over time. Her work provides critical insight into the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and how marine ecosystems are responding. Her contributions to Arctic science have also been recognized with the 2020 ASC Medal from the International Arctic Science Committee and the 2023 Alaska Ocean Leadership Award from the Alaska SeaLife Center.
Anne B. McCoy professor of chemistry at the UW was awarded the 2026 Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy & Dynamics from the American Physical Society for her impactful contributions to the anharmonic vibrational spectroscopy and dynamics of molecular radicals ions and clusters. Established in 1976 the prize honors pioneering spectroscopist Earle K. Plyler and is sponsored by the Journal of Chemical Physics. The prize will be presented at the APS Global Physics Summit the world largest physics research conference in March 2026.
McCoy research focuses on theoretical chemistry where she develops methods to understand how molecules move vibrate, and exchange energy. Her work has helped scientists better understand the fundamental behavior of molecules providing insight into how chemical reactions occur and how energy flows through molecular systems. Much of her recent work has focused on hydrogen bonded systems and specifically proton transport. She is also interested in exotic molecules like CH5+ and H5+ which have been proposed to exist in the interstellar medium. These advances help lay the groundwork for progress in areas ranging from atmospheric chemistry to materials science.
University of Washington professor Thomas Rothvoss has received the inaugural Trevisan Prize for his breakthrough contributions to the study of optimization problems. Rothvoss holds joint appointments in the Department of Mathematics and the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering and was honored in the mid career category a recognition of his impactful work over the course of his career.The Trevisan Prize for outstanding work in the theory of computing is sponsored by the Department of Computing Sciences at Bocconi University and the Italian Academy of Sciences. Awardees receive a one time monetary prize and a medal and are invited to give public lectures at Bocconi University. The award ceremony and lectures took place in January 2026.
Rothvoss has built a distinguished record of contributions to theoretical computer science and discrete optimization. He shares that over the years my focus has changed a bit . I worked on approximation algorithms which deal with finding provably good solutions to NP hard problems in polynomial time. His work has since shifted toward discrepancy theory and the theoretical foundations of linear and integer programming. In simple terms Rothvoss studies the mathematics behind making optimal decisions in highly complex systems. His research helps reveal when efficient solutions are possible and optimization problems can be solved.
The John Gaus Award is presented annually to honor a lifetime of exemplary scholarship in the joint tradition of political science and public administration. Prakash was selected unanimously for the award in recognition of a career devoted to advancing scholarship at the intersection of political science and public administration. A nomination letter noted that Prakash research particularly on environmental issues has helped bring environmental concerns into public administration in a variety of ways including examining how businesses and NGO can fill governance gaps. At the same time the letter highlighted how his work explores the risks of these nontraditional governance mechanisms including potential issues such as regulatory capture and accountability deficits.
Prakash research spans environmental governance public policy and global political economy. Over the course of his career he has published eight scholarly books and more than 130 articles in peer reviewed journals with his work cited more than 18000 times across the field. As part of the honor Prakash presented the Gaus Lecture at the APSA Annual Meeting in September 2025.
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