The Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Pittsburgh celebrated the achievements and service of two esteemed alumni, Dr. Richard Maurer (PhD '70) and Dr. Paul L. White (MS '64), through honoring them as recipients of the inaugural Physics and Astronomy Department Distinguished Alumni Award.

In recognition of their esteemed work, the recipients were invited to a luncheon with current graduate and upper-class undergraduate students, given a tour of the department to include visiting labs and various other facilities, followed by a formal dinner and award ceremony at the Physics and Astronomy Distinguished Alumni Awards Gala held at the Allegheny Observatory on Saturday April 2, 2016.

Though Dr. White was unable to attend, Dr. Maurer discussed his work during the luncheon with Physics and Astronomy students, discussing his experience as a Physics and Astronomy student and later his work NASA and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory regarding such projects as the New Horizons mission where his team's spacecraft design caught the first glimpses of Pluto last summer. Alumnus like Dr. Maurer and Dr. White, serve as an inspiration for students and others within the Physics and Astronomy community.