Kenneth Wilson (1936-2013), was a professor in Ohio State’s Department of Physics who brought a multi-disciplinary approach to his innovate research ranging from abstract mathematics to supercomputing. In 1982, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on phase transitions, such as the change of a substance from a liquid to a gaseous state, and developed a set of computational models that solved many fundamental problems in relativistic quantum mechanics called the renormalization group concept.
Following his Nobel Prize award, Wilson became increasingly concerned about the teaching of math and science in the K-12 system and felt students needed more hands on learning. He came to Ohio State and founded the Physics Education Research group. His research led to the development of Project Discovery, an Ohio statewide initiative to improve science and mathematics teaching in the public schools, jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the state of Ohio.
As an innovative pioneer within the field of physics, Wilson’s discoveries won him numerous awards in addition to the Nobel Prize including Israel’s Wolf Prize in Physics in 1980 and the A.C. Eringen Medal. He was member of the National Academy of Science and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.