THE TITLE AND DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF SCIENCE (honoris causa) CONFERRED AT CONGREGATION, MAY 25, 2007
PHILLIP JAMES EDWIN PEEBLES
Mr. CHANCELLOR,
Dr. Peebles is a pioneering cosmologist who has made profound contributions to our knowledge of the physical processes that have shaped the structure of our universe.
Over the past half century, he has also inspired several generations of physics students with his textbooks, and supported cosmology research at UBC and across Canada. Yet, he still retains the charm, curiosity and humility of his small-town Manitoba upbringing.
Dr. Peebles received his Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Manitoba in 1958 and then moved to Princeton University, where his theoretical discoveries put him at the forefront of modern cosmology – and where he remains as Albert Einstein Professor of Science.
With rigour and imagination, Dr. Peebles has advanced our understanding of phenomena that range from the creation of the lightest elements to the formation of galaxies and the cosmic distribution of matter and radiation.
According to Science News, he was instrumental in three of the twentieth century’s 100 most-important discoveries. It should therefore come as no surprise that Dr. Peebles has been recognized with several major awards, including the highest honour of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Mr. Chancellor, to recognize his outstanding contributions to science and our understanding of the cosmos, I ask you to confer the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, upon Phillip James Edwin Peebles.