J. Michael Kosterlitz
Physicist

British (1943-2004), American (2004-present) Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Quick Info

Profession	Physicist
Nationality	British (1943-2004), American (2004-present)
Date of Birth	22/06/1943
Age	82 years
Birthplace	Aberdeen, United Kingdom

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Bio/Wiki

Full Name	John Michael Kosterlitz
Nickname	Mike
Famous For	Receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016 for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter

Physical Stats & More

Height	5' 8" (173 cm)
Eye Color	Hazel Grey
Hair Color	Salt and Pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

BA	Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge University (1965)
MA	Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge University (1966)
D.Phil.	Oxford University (1969)

Personal Life

Religious Views	Atheist
Food Habit	Non-Vegetarian
Hobbies	Travelling Reading Mountain climbing

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married
Affairs/Girlfriends	Berit Kosterlitz (teacher)
Marriage Date	September 1970
Marriage Place	Torino, Italy
Spouse	Berit Kosterlitz (teacher)

Family

Father	Hans Kosterlitz (27 April 1903 - 26 October 1996) (biochemist)
Mother	Johanna Maria Kosterlitz (Gresshöner) (deceased)
Spouse	Berit Kosterlitz (teacher)
Children	Jonathan Kosterlitz Elisabeth Kosterlitz Karin Kosterlitz

Career

Academic Honors, Achievements	1980: Maxwell Medal, awarded by Institute of Physics 1993: Elected Fellow of American Physical Society 2000: Lars Onsager Prize awarded by American Physical Society 2006: Harrison E Farnsworth Professor of Physics, Brown University 2007: Elected Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Science 2012: Reappointed KIAS Scholar 2016: Appointed Distinguished Professor, KIAS 2016: Nobel Prize in Physics (with D. J. Thouless and D. Haldane) 2017: Elected Member of National Academy of Sciences 2017: Honorary degrees from Birmingham University, Aberdeen University 2017: Elected honorary fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford University 2017: Elected honorary fellow of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge University 2018: Honorary doctorates from Brown University, Torino University 2018: Inducted as member of National Academy of Sciences 2018: Medallion from the Oppenheimer Committee 2019: Honorary DSc from McGill University, Oakland University 2016: Nobel Prize in Physics (shared with D. J. Thouless and D. Haldane) for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter 1981: Maxwell Medal and Prize from the British Institute of Physics 1992: Elected Fellow of American Physical Society 2016: Visiting Research Fellow at Aalto University in Finland
Current Position	Harrison E. Farnsworth Professor of Physics, Brown University (since 1982)
Key Research Collaborations	David Thouless (University of Birmingham, early 1970s - topological phase transitions in thin layers) Michael Fisher, Ken Wilson, David Nelson (Cornell University)
Research Focus	Condensed matter theory, one- and two-dimensional physics, phase transitions, random systems, electron localization, spin glasses, critical dynamics, melting and freezing

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Michael comes from a Jewish background.
2. Michael's father moved from Germany to the UK in 1934 to escape Jewish persecution.
3. He grew up in a village called Cults.
4. His parents concealed his German heritage from him for a considerable time.
5. Michael adopted atheism during his college years.
6. He displayed exceptional aptitude in mathematics and science while in school.
7. Michael had a passion for mountain climbing.
8. He met his future wife, Berit, at Cambridge University.
9. Michael accomplished upper second and first-class degrees in his university studies.
10. Before enhancing his academic performance, Michael climbed in the Andes.
11. Michael has significantly impacted the field of physics through diverse research endeavors.
12. His groundbreaking work with David Thouless in the early 1970s on topological phase transitions has been cited over 6,600 times in scientific literature.
13. He hopes their work on quantum topology can be applied to developing new materials such as thin magnetic films for quantum computers.
14. He was a Fulbright Scholar.

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