University of Notre Dame physics professor Kevin Lannon in the Department of Physics and Astronomy has received the Meenakshi Narain Mentoring Award from the American Physical Society (APS), an honor that celebrates his commitment to his student advising and leadership within the field of particle physics.
The award, presented annually, acknowledges scientists who demonstrate exceptional dedication to mentoring the next generation of researchers. For Lannon, senior associate dean of faculty affairs for the College of Science, the recognition highlights years of guiding graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and young scientists across different stages of their academic careers.
The APS chose Lannon for the award primarily because of his leadership in reimagining graduate student admissions at Notre Dame, championing evaluation criteria that values perseverance, resilience, and drive alongside academic rigor. According to Lannon and those who nominated him, the new evaluation process broadens access while upholding excellence.
“Mentoring for me is a very important thing,” Lannon said. “Most of my mentoring activities . . . are associated with my graduate students and my postdocs, just trying to make sure that they’re getting the guidance that they need to help them progress along their various career paths.”
Notre Dame sought to move beyond traditional metrics like institutional pedigree and standardized test scores when admitting graduate students, because these are not the only signs that a student can be successful.
“When we were thinking about our admissions criteria, we recognized that just looking at what grades they got . . . what scores they had . . . that’s not the only marker of potential for success,” he said. “Being a graduate student is a really hard path to follow, and so if you’re not enthusiastic, that’s going to be a challenge,” he said.
Naturally, his own philosophy of mentoring was shaped by different experiences early in his career. As an undergraduate participating in a summer research program at Argonne National Laboratory, one of the scientists Lannon worked with, Bob Wagner, who was a model of patient mentoring, but who also gave Lannon space to test ideas on his own. In graduate school, he benefited from the guidance of two excellent advisors.
“One, in particular, Kevin Pitts, was a very good mentor who made me feel like my research was important, and he had the time to spend to help me move forward,” Lannon said.
The APS award will be formally presented in March 2026, where Lannon will also have the opportunity to give a talk. He credited the department’s awards committee for championing nominations across the department and for their support of his own candidacy.
“I’m really honored and grateful to have been recognized, and grateful to the folks who made the nomination in the first place,” Lannon said.