A CRAIL teenager is among the inaugural winners of the Higgs Prize for physics.
Peter Rhodes, a former pupil at Madras College, St Andrews, will now visit the internationally renowned CERN research facility in Switzerland to take part in its summer school.
The Higgs Prize is awarded on merit to two pupils from a publicly funded school who have shown outstanding performance in the Advanced Higher Physics exam.
Also receiving the award was Lucy Willets-White, who went to Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh and now studies physics at Imperial College, London.
Peter, 17, plans to continue his education in September next year and hopes to follow a career in neurology and psychiatry.
First Minister Alex Salmond announced the winners at the Scottish Parliament.
The Higgs Prize for physics was established in recognition of the theoretical work of Nobel Physics Prize winner Professor Peter Higgs and the impact it has had on modern day particle physics.
The First Minister also confirmed that £4m funding will be provided to support Professor Higgs’ legacy. This will include a £2m contribution to the Higgs Centre at the Edinburgh University, alongside an additional £2m to support a new generation of young researchers in physics and mathematics at universities across Scotland, through the Scottish Funding Council.
Mr Salmond said: “Professor Higgs’ achievements are hugely inspiring for our young people and his commitment to encouraging our next generation of scientists is well-known.
“It’s very fitting that we mark his globally recognised work through the Higgs Prize.
“For any young scholar, let alone a budding physicist, a trip to CERN is a once in a lifetime experience.
“As Higgs Prize winners, Lucy and Peter, who I met today, will have the fantastic opportunity to take part in internationally acclaimed CERN seminars and lectures.
“Scottish science in all its forms is going from strength to strength, building on our proud history of scientific discovery the achievements of Lister, Kelvin, Logie Baird, Higgs and many, many others whom every Scot knows of and is proud of.”
Professor Higgs said: “At my old school in Bristol, I was inspired by seeing the name of Paul Dirac on the honours board. Dirac received the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics for predicting anti-matter and, in particular, the positron. I know very well how exciting and amazing visits to CERN can be and I’m delighted to have my name associated with this prize. I hope it inspires young students today just as I was inspired by Dirac.”
CERN director general Rolf Heuer added: “CERN has a long tradition of organising visits and programmes for students and we are always very pleased to welcome brilliant young talents.
“We are particularly proud to welcome soon the two very first recipients of the Higgs Prize, Lucy and Peter, and look forward to their visit.”
arobertson@thecourier.co.uk