Top Awards go to Williams College Physics Professor Williams Wootters

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Professor William Wootters
Professor William Wootters is to be honored for his outstanding achievements in physics, not once, but twice in the academic year, by The American Physical Society and by the National Institute on Information and Communications Technology. In recognition of his pioneering work in quantum theory, the National Institute on Information and Communications Technology bestowed its 2006 International Quantum Communications Award on Wootters at a ceremony in Tsukuba, Japan, Nov. 28-30. The award is given every two years at the International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement, and Computing. Wootters is the Barclay Jermain Professor of Natural Philosophy at Williams College. His research specialty, quantum information theory, is the study of information stored or processed in objects that must be described by quantum mechanics, such as individual atoms. Information stored in quantum systems behaves very differently from ordinary information. It cannot, for example, be copied perfectly. Despite these restrictions, this ghostly sort of information could be of great value in "quantum computation" and "quantum cryptography." Wootters' work on "teleportation" of quantum information has been widely cited in both the scientific and popular press. While his own work is at the most basic and theoretical level, other scientists around the world are seeking to bring these ideas to practical fruition. Wootters will be awarded The American Physical Society (APS) Prize to a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution at a ceremony in Denver, Co. in March. The prize is the highest national award of its kind. It is given annually to honor a physicist recognized as contributing substantially to physics research and providing inspirational guidance and encouragement to undergraduate students participating in this research. The APS cited Wootters "for his pioneering work on quantum teleportation, his widely cited contributions to quantum information theory, and his prolific engagement of undergraduate students in this research at the foundation of quantum mechanics." Physics Department Chair Kevin Jones commented, "Bill Wootters is remarkable for his skill in weaving his teaching and research interests together. He has a knack for identifying interesting problems, is able to explain them clearly and precisely, and then engage beginning researchers in their solution." In a recent interview in APS's Quantum Times newsletter, Wootters was asked about doing quantum theory research at a small institution like Williams College. "I think both theory and experiment can thrive at a liberal arts college," he said, "because the problems are never very far removed from elementary quantum mechanics. One metaphor [is] that one could look for good problems 'near the trunk' of the discipline as opposed to looking at the ends of the longest branches." Wootters has been at Williams since 1982 and teaches courses that range from those intended for non-science majors to the most advanced upper level tutorials. With mathematician Susan Loepp he teaches a highly successful interdisciplinary course called "Protecting Information." He and his students have published in prestigious scientific journals, including Physical Review Letters. In 2000, he was elected as a fellow of the APS for his "contributions on the foundations of quantum mechanics and groundbreaking work in quantum information and communications theory." Wootters received his B.S. from Stanford University in 1973 and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. The American Physical Society has been the leading voice for the advancement and diffusion of physics nationally and internationally for over 100 years. The APS publishes major scientific journals such as the Physical Review. This is the 20th year of the QCMC, organized by the National Institute on Information and Communications Technology (NICT). The NICT is a Japanese-based organization seeking to advance both national and international scientific understanding. Its goals include the development of technology to strengthen the economy, health, and the environment.
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Former Miss Hall's Teacher Arraigned on Rape Charges

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Warning: this article discusses sexual assault. 
 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former teacher pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to three counts of felony counts rape related to his tenure at Miss Hall's School.
 
Matthew Rutledge, 63, was indicted last month by a Berkshire grand jury following accusations dating back to the 1990s of sexually assaulting students at the girls' school. 
 
"Today, Matthew Rutledge was arraigned for raping me. He began grooming me when I was 15 years old, a student at Miss Hall's School, and his abuse of me continued for years after I left that campus," former student Hilary Simon said to a large crowd outside of Berkshire Superior Court.

"After more than two decades, this case is finally in the hands of the criminal justice system."
 
Simon and Melissa Fares, former students, publicly accused Rutledge of abuse and called out the school for failing to protect them. 
 
They provided testimony at his indictment and, on Wednesday, were in the courtroom to see their alleged abuser arraigned. 
 
Rutledge was working at the day and boarding school until the allegations surfaced nearly three years ago. Pittsfield Police investigated the claims but initially concluded no charges could be brought forward because the students were 16, the age of consent in Massachusetts. 
 
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