Michael Zeller, a member of the faculty for 27 years who is internationally known for his work in the field of particle physics, has been appointed the Henry Ford II Professor of Physics by vote of the Yale Corporation.
Professor Zeller's work has focused on elementary particle physics with a concentration on the study of rare decays of the K meson. He has done much of his research at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island.
During his long career at Yale, Professor Zeller has twice been honored for his skills as a teacher. He was awarded the William Clyde DeVane Medal for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship in 1981, and six years later was a recipient of the Yale College Prize for Undergraduate Teaching. When he was presented the latter award, he was cited for his commitment to students both in and out of the classroom, showing an interest and willingness "to spend hours, even on a Friday evening, giving personal instruction to students who require help."
Professor Zeller joined the faculty as an instructor in 1969 after earning a B.S. from Stanford University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles. He was named an assistant professor in 1970, became an associate professor in 1975 and was promoted to a full professorship in 1982. He has served as director of undergraduate studies and of graduate studies and was chair of the physics department 1989-95. Outside of his department, he has served on and or chaired numerous University committees, including the Teaching and Learning Committee, the Special Students Advisory Committee, the Standing Review Committee for Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Senior Appointments Committee, the Yale College Steering Committee and the Budget Committee.
Professor Zeller has also been active in the science community beyond Yale, serving on dozens of national and international committees. His most recent commitments have included serving as chair of the division of particles and fields of the American Physical Society and as a session organizer for an international conference on high energy physics. He currently is a member of the Committee on Elementary Particle Physics of the National Research Council.
A fellow of the American Physical Society, Professor Keller has published more than 50 scientific papers.