June 14, 2022
The prize was established in the Division in 2013 by Arthur L. Kelly, who received his MBA from the University in 1964 and established the same faculty prize at Chicago Booth in 1999. In addition to his contributions to finance, business, international relations, and geography, Mr. Kelly served as Trustee of the University from 1988-2008 and has served two decades on the PSD Council, including ten years as Chair. It is fitting that we honor his contributions to the Division and the University through this award.
The Kelly Prize celebrates faculty who, outside of their teaching and research, have made exceptional efforts in promoting and supporting the Division. Previous winners include Ka Yee Lee and John Frederick (2013); Anne Rogers and Michael Hopkins (2014); Robert Fefferman and Robert Wald (2015); Michael Foote (2016); Michael Stein (2017); Richard Jordan (2018); Stephen Stigler (2019); Bryan Dickinson, Margaret Gardel, and Chuan He (2020); and Aaron Dinner and Stuart Kurtz (2021).
Young-Kee Kim, Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Physics, the Enrico Fermi Institute, and the College, receives the prize in recognition of her service as Chair of the Department of Physics. Since 2016, Young-Kee has steered the department through a dramatic increase in student enrollment and the pandemic while also growing the faculty. She is committed to supporting students, staff, and faculty, and has been a passionate advocate for creating a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive environment in the department. Young-Kee also served as Deputy Director of Fermilab (2006-13) and helped foster greater collaboration between researchers at the national lab and the University. As Senior Advisor to the Provost for Global Scientific Initiatives, Young-Kee advances the University's global reach and reputation in the sciences and helps support international scholars and students.
Edward "Rocky" Kolb, Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the David N. Schramm Director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, the Enrico Fermi Institute, and the College, receives the prize in recognition of his service as Dean (2013-18), Chair of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (2006-12), and Director of KICP (2019-). Rocky championed UChicago's membership in the Giant Magellan Telescope organization, the creation of the Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics, and the expansion of the Department of Computer Science. He also managed PSD’s transition to the Eckhardt Research Center and secured support for the renovation of the Michelson Center for Physics. As Director of KICP, he has helped to raise the profile of the institute, attracting top talent from across the globe.