This year marks the 75th anniversary of the nuclear shell model, for which Maria Goeppert-Mayer and Hans Jensen won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963. In commemoration of this historic anniversary, Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago hosted a symposium from July 19 to 21, 2024, dedicated to celebrating the legacy and enduring impact of the nuclear shell model and Maria Goeppert-Mayer's contributions to science. The symposium brought together researchers at all stages of their careers whose research descends from the development of the shell model. Topics presented ranged from historical overviews of 75 years of progress to ongoing research at the forefront of nuclear physics.
To commemorate the impact Maria Goeppert-Mayer has had on generations of women physicists, a session was dedicated to celebrating women and other underrepresented populations in physics. In an effort to continue her great legacy, discussions highlighted the accomplishments of women in physics as well as provided opportunities for dialogue about current challenges still faced by women and underrepresented minorities in physics and how we, as a community, can pursue a more equitable and diverse field.
This event was supported by:
Image of Maria Goeppert-Mayer from the University of Chicago Photographic Archive, [apf1-10468], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
