David Todd Wilkinson

David Todd Wilkinson (May 13, 1935 – September 5, 2002) was an American cosmologist, specializing in the study of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB).^[1]

David Todd Wilkinson
Born	(1935-05-13)13 May 1935
Died	5 September 2002(2002-09-05) (aged 67)
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Awards	James Craig Watson Medal (2001)
Scientific career
Fields	cosmology
Institutions	Princeton University
Doctoral advisor	H. Richard Crane
Doctoral students	Marc Davis Suzanne Staggs Peter Saulson

Education

Wilkinson was born in Hillsdale, Michigan on May 13, 1935, and earned his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Michigan under the supervision of H. Richard Crane.^[2]

Research and career

Wilkinson was a Professor of Physics at Princeton University from 1965 until his retirement in 2002. He made fundamental contributions to many major cosmic microwave background experiments, including two NASA satellites: the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), the latter of which was named in his honor after his death due to cancer on September 5, 2002.^[3]

Accolades

• Princeton President's Award for Distinguished Teaching
• Election to the National Academy of Sciences (1983)
• James Craig Watson Medal (2001)