Marko Jarić Award for Physics for 2023 was awarded today to Professor Ilija Zeljković from Boston College in the United States.
At the ceremony organized by the Institute of Physics at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zeljković said that it is a great honor for him to receive the „Marko Jarić“ award, and then he gave a speech on „How we can see atoms and electrons in quantum materials.“
„This award means a lot to me. It completes a circle. I left the country after finishing high school as a rising physicist. I wanted to be a scientist, and now I have achieved something in my field,“ Zeljković told Tanjug.
According to him, the award is a confirmation of his work in the field of quantum materials in recent years, and it motivates him to continue „at this pace, if not faster.“
Zeljković was awarded the prize by a unanimous decision of the jury consisting of academician Zoran V. Popović, professor Jelena Radovanović from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade, and professor Đorđe Spasojević from the Faculty of Physics.
The jury awarded Zeljković „for exceptional contributions to the study of strongly correlated cuprate-based superconductive materials and crystalline topological insulators, as well as the study of superconductors with Kagome crystal lattice.“
The President of the Board of the „Marko V. Jarić“ Foundation, Aleksandar Belić, emphasized that the award is given for outstanding contributions in physics recognized worldwide in the past year.
„It is not a lifetime achievement award but for a small number of significant breakthroughs, or perhaps just one, large enough for the person to be recognized worldwide and leave a mark in physics. This significantly narrows down the field of people who can apply for the competition,“ Belić said.
The head of the Marko V. Jarić Foundation, Petar Adžić, reminded that Jarić (1952-1997) was an outstanding scientific personality, and the award with his name is given to the best in the past year for excellence, high quality, and results that have an impact on global physics.
Marina Soković, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, praised the organizers who know how to promote scientists with the „Marko Jarić“ award and highlight that their work is not in vain and that someone notices it.
Soković emphasized that the winners of the „Marko Jarić“ award are „truly recognized worldwide and represent an example for younger generations.“
The award is financially supported by the Institute of Physics, whose director Aleksandar Bogojević described the awarding of the „Marko Jarić“ award as a „festival of science, especially physics“ and reminded that it has been awarded for more than 25 years.
Zeljković graduated from the Mathematical Gymnasium in Belgrade in 2003, and then completed his undergraduate studies in physics and computer science in 2007 at Washington University in St. Louis.
He defended his doctoral dissertation at Harvard University in 2013 on the topic of high-temperature cuprate-based superconductors.
Advancing through his career at Boston College, Zeljković established his research group that focuses on synthesizing new materials and conducting research using scanning tunneling microscopy.
He has so far researched cuprate-based superconductors, iron-based superconductors, and currently superconductors with Kagome crystal structure.
In conclusion, Professor Ilija Zeljković’s achievements in the field of physics have been recognized with the prestigious „Marko Jarić“ award, highlighting his exceptional contributions to the study of quantum materials and superconductors. This recognition serves as a motivation for him to continue his groundbreaking research and leave a lasting impact on the field of physics.
