Department of Physics at the U of I

Professor Jeremiah Sullivan was the ninth Head of the Department of Physics, retiring in July 2006. He is also the former director of ACDIS, Unit on Technology for Peacekeeping. Dr. Sullivan received his Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University in 1964, after receiving a B.S. in physics from Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1960. He has pursued a scientific career that has successfully integrated the three distinct areas of research, teaching in its broadest sense, and government service. He spent his postdoctoral years as a research associate in the theoretical physics group at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), then moved to Illinois, beginning as an acting assistant professor and advancing rapidly through the professorial ranks (assistant professor, 1967; associate professor, 1969; and professor, 1973). In the early years of his career, Professor Sullivan made significant contributions to particle physics, particularly to electromagnetic interactions and to hadron-hadron processes at high energy.

In 1974, Professor Sullivan began what ultimately developed into his major research direction when he accepted an invitation to become a member of JASON, a group of experts who provide technical analyses to the U.S. government on scientific issues relevant to national security. Every summer since 1974, he has spent six weeks working with the JASON group and has contributed significantly to its success. In addition to his direct JASON work, Professor Sullivan has also leant his expertise to a number of other important studies and reviews that have played key roles in the evolution of U.S. defense policy over the past twenty years. In 2001, he was selected by the Secretary of Energy to lead the Nuclear Nonproliferation Subcommittee of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration Advisory Committee and received a four-year appointment to the Advisory Panel of the security-related Civil Science and Technology Sub-Programme of the NATO Science Committee.

Professor Sullivan has made wide-ranging, lasting contributions to arms control and international security, including important detailed calculations of shock wave profiles from underground tests (with Illinois Physics colleague Professor Fred Lamb) and studies of technologies for enhancing the effectiveness of peace operations, comprehensive nuclear test ban issues, science-based stockpile stewardship, technology and policy of ballistic missile defenses, arms control verification, military and civilian uses of space, and science and public policy. His contributions were recognized by the 2000 Leo Szilard Award of the American Physical Society.