As part of Perimeter Institute’s 25th anniversary, the inaugural Perimeter Circle Alumni Awards were presented at a ceremony this week, following a two-day program featuring many of the shortlisted nominees. The awards are given to outstanding alumni from Perimeter Institute’s Master’s and PhD programs, as well as former postdoctoral researchers.
Four winners were announced this year across three categories: Academic Leadership, for alumni who have shown excellence in an academic career; Industry Trailblazer, for those making an impact in an industry of their choosing; and Pathfinder, for those who have made significant contributions to their community and the world. This year, due to the depth and strength of the pool, two winners were chosen for the Industry Trailblazer category.
“Today, we celebrate four remarkable alumni, and through them, the breadth of this community. From pushing the frontiers of physics, to trailblazing in industry, to building entirely new pathways for education, these awardees – and all those shortlisted – remind us what’s possible when curiosity meets commitment,” Gonzalez said.
The 2025 Perimeter Circle Alumni Award winners are:
Claudia de Rham, Academic Leadership Award
Claudia de Rham is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London, and director of the Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics. She has broken new ground in massive gravity – resolving puzzles about how gravity might acquire mass – while probing dark energy, cosmology, and gravitational waves. Beyond research, she mentors the next generation and engages the public with the biggest questions in physics.
Academic Leadership Shortlist:
- Jonathan Barrett
- Astrid Eichhorn
- Flaminia Giacomini
- Stefania Gori
- Andrei Olegovich Starinets
- Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
- Robert Raussendorf
- Rowan Thomson
- Will Witzak-Krempa
Bridgette Oakes, Industry Trailblazer Award
Bridgette Oakes is Vice President of Engineering at Firefly Aerospace. Under her leadership, teams have delivered breakthroughs in propulsion, reusable rockets, and composite structures. She guided Firefly’s first commercial lunar lander and oversaw novel engine cycles now flying toward orbit.
Henry Reich, Industry Trailblazer Award
Henry Reich is the creator of MinutePhysics. His short, elegant videos have inspired millions worldwide with accessible explanations of complex science. He has proven that science communication can be both rigorous and deeply engaging, building spin-off channels, books, and interactive media to broaden STEM’s reach.
Industry Trailblazer Shortlist:
- Natacha Altamirano
- Ciaran Gillian-Lee
- David Louapre
Jessica Weitbrecht, Pathfinder Award
Jessica Weitbrecht co-founded the Rwanda Mathematics Olympiad at AIMS Rwanda. In 2019, she launched teacher training programs and Rwanda’s first national math contest. By 2023, more than 25,000 students were participating. As Research & Innovation Lead at AIMS, she is not only teaching – she’s building ecosystems, motivating students, supporting teachers, and creating a culture of excellence.
Pathfinder Shortlist:
- Sarah Croke
- Anna Knorr
- Sonali Mohapatra
- Prince Osei
Congratulations to all four winners, as well as the shortlisted alumni. Each of them has shown that they embody the very best of what Perimeter Institute represents. And of course, they are just the tip of the iceberg, with more than 1,000 Perimeter alumni now out in the world making waves and accelerating breakthroughs.
To learn more about the Perimeter Circle Alumni Awards, and see profiles of many of this year’s winners and shortlisted nominees, visit Perimeter Institute’s alumni page.
Perimeter Institute would like to thank the selection committee members and organizers who made the 2025 Perimeter Circle Alumni Awards possible:
- Awardee Selection Committee: Davide Gaiotto, Renate Loll, Christine Chamberlain, and Savvas Chamberlain
- Short List Selection Committee: Maite Dupuis, Katie Mack, Rob Myers, Lucien Hardy, and Theo Johnson-Freyd
- Awards Ceremony Host: Gabriela Gonzalez
- Awards Program Manager: Sunny Tsang
About PI
Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement.
