David Nesvorny Awarded Urey Prize

The Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has awarded its Urey Prize in Planetary Sciences to Dr. David Nesvorny, a senior research scientist in the Space Studies Department at Southwest Research Institute. Nesvorny was selected as the 2005 recipient of the award, named in honor of the late Nobel laureate Harold C. Urey, who made significant advances in the fields of physical chemistry, geochemistry, lunar science and astrochemistry. The Urey Prize recognizes outstanding achievements in planetary science by a young scientist. Nesvorny was noted for his research contributions to the dynamical evolution of small bodies in the solar system. His recent efforts focused on precisely dating asteroid breakup events and determining how sunlight affects asteroid spin rates. "The Urey prize recognizes outstanding achievement by a young planetary scientist, and we are so proud that David has received this great honor," says Dr. Robin M. Canup, director of the SwRI Space Studies Department. "David is an extremely talented and exacting scientist with a tireless work ethic, who has already contributed very substantially to our understanding of a variety of dynamical processes in the solar system. We look forward to David's continued scientific achievements." Nesvorny holds a master's degree in astronomy from Charles University, Czech Republic, and a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He joined SwRI in 2003. Nesvorny will receive the Urey Prize and a cash award from the annual meeting of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences in Cambridge, England, in September 2005.