Iain Stewart

Iain Stewart

he/him
Physics
Persistent support

“Being around Iain makes us want to be better teachers and mentors”, one his students praised, “and we would be proud to one day be even a fraction as good a professor as he.”

Stewart has been selected as a recipient of the Committed to Caring award 2023-2025. Despite his stimulating research and outstanding academic supervision, some may contend that his most notable accomplishments are his tenacity on behalf of his students and his efforts towards equity and inclusivity.

Iain Stewart is the Otto and Jane Morningstar Professor of Science and former Director of the Center for Theoretical Physics (CTP). His research interests center around nuclear and particle physics, where he develops and applies effective field theories to understand interactions between elementary particles and particularly strong interactions described by quantum chromodynamics. 

Persistent Support

Stewart shows faith in his students’ abilities even when they doubt themselves. According to his nominators, the field of physics, like many areas of intellectual pursuit, can attract a wide range of personalities, including those who are highly confident as well as those who may grapple with self-doubt. He explains concepts in a down-to-earth manner and does not make his students feel less than they are.

For his students, Stewart’s research group comes as a refreshing change. Stewart emphasizes that graduate school is for learning, and that one is not expected to know everything from the onset.  

He also stresses that organizational and individual growth mindset are both important. He encourages collective attitude which prioritizes continuous improvement, adaptability, and innovation, and holds a personal belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed through dedication, effort, and learning.

Stewart always makes himself available to his students, and invites them to come into his office whenever they would like. He has an open door policy where he is happy to speak about academic and personal issues. He also incentivizes students to take breaks when he observes that they are not in the optimal working mindset. 

Stewart shows a great level of empathy and emotional support for his students. For example, one of the nominators recounted a story about preparing for their oral qualification exam. The student had temporarily suspended research, and another faculty member made a disparaging comment about the student’s grasp of their research. The student approached Stewart in distress.

“As your advisor,” Stewart reassured them, “I can tell you confidently that you know your research and you are doing well, and it’s totally okay to put it off for a while to prepare for the qual.” 

Stewart’s words gave the student a sense of relief and validation, reminding them that progress is a journey, not a race, and that taking time to prepare thoughtfully was both wise and necessary.

Always emphasizes positivity in his feedback, Stewart reminds advisees of their achievements and progress, helping them develop a more optimistic mindset. Stewart’s mentorship style recognizes individual student needs, a trait that his students find uncommon. His research group flourishes due to this approach, and a large number of his graduate and postdoc students have achieved great success.

Equity and Inclusion

During his six years as Director, Stewart has made significant contributions to the CTP. He has improved the culture and demographics due to strong and inclusive leadership. In particular, a noteworthy number of women have joined the CTP. 

In his own research group, a large number of international and female students have found a place, which is uncommon for groups in theoretical physics. Currently, three out of seven group members are female in a field where there are less than 10% women.

Stewart’s nominators believe that given the number of women he has mentored in his career, he is single-handedly contributing to improving the diversity in his field. His nominators say he supports diverse backgrounds, and financially supports and encourages participation for marginalized groups.

Stewart also put a faculty diversity representative in place in the CTP’s yearly postdoc search. His nominators say he supports diverse backgrounds, and financially supports and encourages participation for marginalized groups.

Overall, Stewart contributes to a sense of acceptance and belonging for all.