The Charles W. Misner Endowed Lectureship in Gravitational Physics was established in October 2021 by Dr. Charles W. Misner (1932-2023) with the support of his family. This endowment supports a lectureship in gravitational physics in the Department of Physics in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.
Misner was a highly esteemed professor in the Department of Physics, joining the University of Maryland in 1963 and achieving his full professor status in 1966. Throughout his impressive career, Professor Misner obtained numerous awards, including the 1972 Guggenheim Fellowship and the 2015 Albert Einstein Medal. He was also an active member of the Gravitation Theory Group at the Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics. The Lectureship endowment biennially sponsors a preferably early or mid-career scientist in the fields of gravitation or cosmology to visit the University of Maryland and give a public lecture and additional specialized lectures.