According to Greek mythology, Atlas dared to challenge the governing of the universe, and for his defiance, this intrepid Titan was condemned to carry the sky on his shoulders for eternity. Luckily for physicists of the modern era, we’re a little more magnanimous these days towards those who question the universe: rather than punish them, we give them awards. This year, one of our very own titans, Professor P. Michael Tuts, has been honored with a exceptional accolade: the 2026 US ATLAS Collaboration Lifetime Achievement Award.
US ATLAS Collaboration is composed of more than 650 US-based contributors to the ATLAS experiment at CERN, and they represent a combined 43 universities and national laboratories. Since 2013, the US ATLAS Lifetime Achievement Award has been bestowed to one individual a year through a peer-nominated process. Nominees are expected to demonstrate significant contributions in science, leadership, and administration to the benefit of both US ATLAS and the member’s own institution. The winner is then chosen by a selection committee. Professor Tuts received his award in person on July 29, 2026, during the US ATLAS Summer Workshop at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Inscribed on the plaque, US ATLAS shared the following citation: "In recognition of your leadership across US ATLAS for over two decades. You instituted and co-managed the Operations Program for many years, including the successful delivery of the US Run 1 commitments and the Phase-1 upgrades. You have played a critical and defining role in managing the NSF-MREFC contribution to the US ATLAS HL-LHC upgrades as PI. Beyond this, you have been a tireless ambassador for US ATLAS and high energy physics in general, as well as being a highly valued mentor for countless generations of graduate students, postdocs, and young faculty."
There’s little question that Professor Tuts has been a credit to US ATLAS and Columbia Physics for many distinguished years. Since joining the CU Physics Department in 1983, he’s been an American Physical Society (APS) Fellow, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow, Director of Nevis Laboratories, Faculty Chair of Columbia Physics, Research Program Manager for US ATLAS, and co-recipient with colleagues Gustaaf Brooijmans and John Parsons of the European Physical Society's 2019 High Energy and Particle Physics Prize. Currently, he serves as the Principal Investigator for the ATLAS HL-LHC Upgrade Project, which he oversees here at Columbia. It comes with $83 million in NSF Major Research Equipment and Facilities (MREFC) funding.
But it is especially telling that the citation for his Lifetime Achievement Award concludes with a recognition of his impact as a mentor. As groundbreaking as his experimental work has been, he is just as well known at Columbia for being a beloved mentor and teacher. The University itself acknowledged this in 2004 by bestowing on him the Columbia Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by Faculty. To appreciate the magnitude of this honor, just know that in any given year, Columbia employs around 7,200 full- and part-time teaching faculty and adjuncts, all of whom are eligible for the award. Each year, the University selects just five winners.
We are truly fortunate that Professor Tuts is a member of our CU Physics community, and we are thrilled that US ATLAS has chosen to recognize his hard work and dedication. Congratulations, Mike, on this very-well deserved recognition!
