October 10, 2025 — CIERA is proud to announce that faculty member Professor Giles Novak has been named a 2025 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS)—one of the highest honors bestowed by the Society. Election to APS Fellowship recognizes exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise, including outstanding research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, and significant contributions to physics education.
A Professor of Physics & Astronomy in Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Novak was honored for his key contributions to instrumentation for far-IR/submillimeter polarimetry, pioneering observations of magnetic fields at the Galactic Center and in star-forming regions, and excellence in mentoring.
Novak’s research lies at the intersection of observational astrophysics and astronomical instrumentation, with a central focus on the formation of stars and planetary systems. His group is actively contributing to three major instrumentation projects—TolTEC, HAWC+, and BLAST—which aim to answer some of the most profound questions in astrophysics:
- What regulates the birthrate of stars and planets?
- What determines the masses of stars and the characteristics of planet-forming disks?
Beyond his scientific achievements, Professor Novak is known across Northwestern for his outstanding commitment to mentoring. As Faculty Director of the Northwestern University Research Shop, he has cultivated a collaborative environment where students develop as researchers, thinkers, and leaders. His accolades include the Weinberg College Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research, Northwestern’s Delta Zeta Outstanding Professor Award, and an NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award.
Professor Novak’s selection as an APS Fellow reflects not only his contributions to the advancement of astrophysics but also his lasting impact on students, collaborators, and the broader scientific community.
“I’m very honored to receive this recognition from the APS, Novak said. “It encourages me to keep working with my amazing collaborators to pursue new discoveries, while also causing me to reflect on how lucky I’ve been to have collaborated with so many talented scientists, machinists, postdocs, students, and others at Northwestern and across the world.”
Congratulations to Professor Novak on this well-deserved recognition!