- December 04, 2025
- By Rachael Grahame ’17 And College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Staff
Two University of Maryland faculty members received the American Academy of Sciences and Letters’ 2025 Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement, presented annually to scholars who have “made outstanding contributions to humanity's knowledge, appreciation and cultivation of the good, the true and the beautiful.”
Charles Butterworth, a professor emeritus of the Department of Government and Politics, and Distinguished University Professor Sylvester James Gates Jr., who holds the Clark Leadership Chair in Science and a joint appointment in the Department of Physics and the School of Public Policy, were among 10 honorees who each received a cash award of $50,000 and became members of the academy.
UMD was the only school with two faculty members to receive the award this year; only two other faculty members from public universities have received the award since its 2023 inception.
"Two University of Maryland faculty members receiving the Barry Prize this year is a testament to the fact that some of the world’s best and brightest minds call College Park their academic home," said College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Dean Susan Rivera. "Our university and college communities are very fortunate to have had the chance to learn from these esteemed experts."
Gates, a University System of Maryland Regents Professor, was also recently named a fellow of both the American Mathematical Society and the African Academy of Sciences; he was already a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the American Physical Society and a recipient of the National Medal of Science.
“I do not believe it could have been possible for me to have had this type of career without the support given to me by the University of Maryland,” Gates said. “The recognition from the AMS is especially sweet, and a beautiful way to honor my deceased grandfather and father, who did not graduate from high school but had an affection for mathematics.”
Gates is well known for his seminal work in supersymmetry, supergravity and string theory. He made milestone discoveries in the mathematics of particle theory and the geometry of gravity. In addition to his research achievements, Gates also distinguished himself as a powerful advocate for education and an ambassador of science worldwide.
“It is truly inspiring to see Professor Gates’ groundbreaking research and tireless public outreach honored by these prestigious organizations,” said Amitabh Varshney, dean of UMD’s College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. “These honors are well-deserved given his pioneering discoveries that cross the boundaries of mathematics and physics.”
Gates served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology under Barack Obama and was the vice president of the Maryland State Board of Education. He also received the American Institute of Physics’ 2021 Andrew Gemant Award, which recognizes contributions to the cultural, artistic or humanistic dimension of physics.
He is the author (with Cathie Pelletier) of “Proving Einstein Right: The Daring Expeditions that Changed How We Look at the Universe,” a well-reviewed tale of scientific passion and pursuit in the early 20th century.
“Professor Gates' remarkable career exemplifies both the spirit of the School of Public Policy and the best of what a university can offer, bringing scientific rigor to questions of policy and public purpose,” said Gustavo Flores-Macías, dean of the UMD School of Public Policy. “His achievements reflect the far-reaching impact of his scholarship and leadership and remind us how deeply intertwined scientific discovery and societal progress truly are.”
Gates received his undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics and his Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He conducted postdoctoral research during fellowships at Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology and joined the UMD physics faculty in 1984. He also held appointments at MIT, Howard University, Dartmouth College and Brown University. He served as president of both the National Society of Black Physicists and the American Physical Society.
Butterworth was selected for the Barry Prize for his contributions to the understanding of Arabic and Islamic philosophy, as well as the relationship between reason and religious texts. In the award citation, the Academy said Butterworth “has broadened the world of scholarship for generations of students in politics, philosophy, and religion,” and “provided scholars around the world with intellectual resources for inquiry into the good life.”
“What a most pleasant surprise it was to receive the Barry Prize for 2025 along with membership in the American Academy of Sciences and Letters,” said Butterworth. “It serves as a delightful recognition that several years of painstaking work to highlight the breadth and depth of Arabic-Islamic culture and philosophy have not been in vain.”
Butterworth received his B.A. from Michigan State University and both his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago, where he focused his studies on political philosophy, Arabic and Islamic civilization. Prior to graduate studies at the University of Chicago, a Fulbright grant to the University of Bordeaux and University of Nancy in France allowed him to complete a doctorate in philosophy on Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He deepened his understanding of Arabic and Islamic culture by lecturing, teaching and living within many of the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as by lecturing in East and West Africa plus Western and Central Europe.
After joining the UMD faculty in 1969, Butterworth climbed the ranks from assistant professor to Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, and received BSOS’ Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship award in 2001. During his tenure at UMD, he served as an editor of numerous academic journals; translated multiple articles and books; was the principal investigator of a Smithsonian-sponsored project in Cairo studying Medieval Islamic logic; served as president of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies; worked on a project regarding the relationship between revelation and political philosophy as a fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.; and was named a fellow of the Academy of Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2004.
Since retiring in 2007, Butterworth has served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of Political Science at the American University of Cairo, and as president of the American Academy of Liberal Education, a position which he held until 2015. In 2024, Butterworth was also awarded a Sheikh Hamad Prize for Translation and International Understanding.