Persis Drell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Persis Drell
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Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Wellesley College University of California, Berkeley (PhD) |
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| Institutions | Stanford University School of Engineering |
| Doctoral advisor | Eugene Commins |
Persis S. Drell is a highly respected professor at Stanford University. She is known for her work in physics and engineering. She has held many important leadership roles at Stanford, including being the Provost Emerita. A provost is a top leader who helps manage a university's academic programs. She is also a professor of materials science and engineering, and a professor of physics.
Before becoming Provost, she was the dean of Stanford's School of Engineering from 2014 to 2017. She also directed the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory from 2007 to 2012. This is a special lab that studies tiny particles. In 2025, she was chosen to be a member of the American Philosophical Society, a very old and respected group.
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Early Life and Schooling
Persis Drell was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father, Sidney Drell, was also a famous physicist. When Persis was just six months old, her family moved to Stanford, California.
She went to Wellesley College and earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics in 1977. Later, in 1983, she received her Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in atomic physics from the University of California, Berkeley. She studied under a professor named Eugene Commins.
Her Amazing Career
Persis Drell started her career as a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She was part of a team called the Mark-II collaboration.
In 1988, she became a physics professor at Cornell University. There, she joined the CLEO collaboration, which studied "heavy flavor physics." This involves looking at certain types of tiny particles. While at Cornell, she also helped lead the Laboratory of Nuclear Studies.
Working at Stanford and SLAC
In 2002, Drell joined the faculty at Stanford University. She also took on a leadership role at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. At SLAC, she helped oversee the BaBar experiment, which studied particles and antiparticles. She also joined the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope team and helped build a large telescope for it.
She became the deputy director of SLAC in 2005. Then, in 2007, she was named the fourth director of SLAC. She was in charge of the entire laboratory until 2012. After that, she returned to her passion for full-time research and teaching.
Leading the School of Engineering and Stanford University
In September 2014, Persis Drell made history when she was named the dean of the Stanford School of Engineering. She was the first woman to ever hold this important position.
In February 2017, she took on an even bigger role. She became the thirteenth provost of Stanford University. As provost, she was one of the top leaders, helping to guide all the academic parts of the university. She stepped down from the Provost role in October 2023.
Awards and Honors
Persis Drell has received many honors for her work. She is a member of several important groups, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is also a fellow of the American Physical Society. Being a "fellow" means she is recognized as an expert in her field.
She has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award. These awards recognize her excellent research and potential.
Personal Life
Persis Drell is married to another physicist. They have three children together.
See also
In Spanish: Persis Drell para niños
