Dr. Alexander Kossiakoff, chief scientist and a former director of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), in Laurel, Md., joins Secretary of State Colin Powell as the 2004 recipients of the distinguished JHU President’s Medal.

JHU President William Brody presented Dr. Kossiakoff with the medal on Nov. 10, recognizing Kossiakoff for “extraordinary contributions to APL, beginning with his guided missile development work in the 1940s, through his tenure as Laboratory Director (1969-1980), and continuing today in his role as APL’s Chief Scientist and as a university leader in engineering education.”

First bestowed in 1978, the medal is an honor extended by JHU to individuals who have achieved unusual distinction. It has been awarded to heads of state, members of the U.S. Congress, a Supreme Court Justice, diplomats, literary figures, academics and corporate chief executives. Dr. Kossiakoff is the first person from APL to receive the award.

Dr. Kossiakoff joined APL in 1946. After his tenure as APL Director, Dr. Kossiakoff became APL’s Chief Scientist in 1980. He also chairs the JHU Whiting School of Engineering’s graduate programs in systems engineering and technical management.

He received his B.S. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the Johns Hopkins University. He is a resident of Brookeville, Md.

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