EPS-HEPP Outreach Prize 2021
"The High Energy and Particle Physics Division of the European Physical Society has awarded the 2021 outreach prize to the organisers of the International Masterclasses and the creator of the ATLAS LEGO model"
The 2021 European Physical Society (EPS) High Energy and Particle Physics (HEPP) Division prizes have been announced today. The EPS-HEPP Outreach Prize “for outstanding achievements in outreach, including education and the promotion of diversity”, has been awarded to three members of IPPOG, the International Particle Physics Outreach Collaboration: to Uta Bilow and Kenneth Cecire “for the long-term coordination and major expansion of the International Particle Physics Master Classes to include a range of modern methods and exercises, and connecting scientists from all the major LHC and Fermilab experiments to school pupils across the world”; and to Sascha Mehlhase, representative of the ATLAS experiment at IPPOG, “for the design and creation of the ATLAS detector and other interlocking-brick models, creating an international outreach program that reaches to an unusually young audience.”
In Portugal, the Masterclasses are coordinated by LIP and gather every year more than 1500 students from all over the country. The national coordinator, Pedro Abreu, is currently co-chair of IPPOG, where Portugal is now represented by Ricardo Gonçalo, also from LIP. Last but not least, LIP is the proud owner of a LEGO model of the ATLAS detector, built by Francisco Diogo in around 40 hours. We are thus extremelly happy to congratulate Uta, Ken and Sascha!