Prof. Wendy Freedman, one of world’s leading cosmologists, has been awarded the National Medal of Science, the country’s highest scientific honor.
Freedman, the John and Marion Sullivan University Professor in Astronomy and Astrophysics, was recognized for her pioneering contributions to cosmology, including the measurement of the expansion and evolution of the universe. She was honored at a Jan. 3 ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House.
“Wendy Freedman’s groundbreaking research on the Hubble constant, the rate at which the universe is expanding, tackles one of the greatest puzzles in astrophysics,” the award citation read. “It has informed her work on other major advances in outer space discovery, including the Hubble Space and Giant Magellan telescopes, deepening our understanding of the universe.”
Among her scientific achievements, Freedman led the team that made a landmark measurement in 2001 of the Hubble constant—the rate at which the universe is expanding. She also pioneered two additional methods to use different types of stars to check the accuracy of the measurements. She also led the initiative to build the Giant Magellan Telescope, one of the world’s largest optical telescopes.
Freedman is the 17th member of the UChicago community to receive the National Medal of Science.
“The National Medal of Science is a well-deserved recognition of Prof. Wendy Freedman’s invaluable contributions to our understanding of the cosmos through the measurement of the universe's expansion rate as well as her founding leadership of the Giant Magellan Telescope—an international effort to build an extremely powerful telescope capable of answering some of humanity’s biggest questions,” said Prof. Ka Yee C. Lee, interim dean of the Physical Sciences Division.
Among her many honors, Freedman has been recognized for her groundbreaking research as a recipient of the Magellanic Premium, the Gruber Cosmology Prize and the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics. In 2024, Freedman was named to Nature’s 10—a list selected by the renowned journal’s editors, which recognizes key scientific developments over the past year.
Established in 1959 by Congress, the National Medal of Science is the nation’s highest recognition for scientists and engineers. The presidential award is given to individuals “for their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or social and behavioral sciences, in service to the nation.”
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
