2022
WILSON PRIZE FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN THE PHYSICS OF PARTICLE ACCELERATORS, AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY
Bill was awarded the Wilson Prize by the American Physical Society, an award which recognizes recipients for their outstanding achievements in the physics of particle accelerators.
He received the following citation: “For leadership in developing the modern accelerator complex at Fermilab, enabling the success of the Tevatron program that supports rich programs in neutrino and precision physics.” Read more about the Wilson Prize here.
2011
Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Bill was elected as a fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s oldest and largest multidisciplinary scientific organization.
1998
Elected Fellow, American Physical Society
Bill was elected as a fellow to the American Physical Society, a scientific organization devoted to the study of physics.
He received the following citation: “For contributions to the development of large-scale particle physics electronics, and for a leading role in the design of the permanent magnet based Fermilab Antiproton Recycler Ring.”
1989
Rossi Prize for Cosmic Ray Physics
Bill was a co-recipient of the Bruno Rossi Prize, named after a pivotal experimental physicist who immigrated to the United States and spent part of his career working in Illinois.
He received the following citation: “The High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society hereby awards the Bruno Rossi Prize for 1989 to the members of the IMB and Kamiokande High Energy Neutrino Collaborations. The prize is awarded for the dramatic and mutually confirming detection of the burst of neutrinos from supernova 1987A, which opened a new window on the cosmos beyond the solar system and provided the first direct data on the high-energy processes occurring in the centers of collapsed stars.”
1999
IEEE/NPSS Particle Accelerator Science and Technology Award
Bill was a co-recipient of the IEEE/NPSS Particle Accelerator Science and Technology Award, which commends recipients for their outstanding contributions to the development of particle accelerators.
He received the following citation: “The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers [IEEE] Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society 1999 Particle Accelerator Science and Technology Award is presented to G. William Foster and Gerald P. Jackson for their leading roles in the conceptualization, design, and development of the first large scale application of permanent magnet technology for beam transport, in the form of the 8 GeV Booster to Main Injector transfer line and the Recycler Ring at Fermilab.”
1998
Federal Energy and Water Management Award (Dept. of Energy)
Bill was a co-recipient of the US Department of Energy’s Federal Energy and Water Management Award, and was proud to receive the award alongside his Fermilab colleagues Dr. Gerald Jackson and Dr. James T. Volk, who served as an alderman in Batavia for 18 years.
He received the following citation: “The Award is presented by the Federal Interagency Energy Policy Committee and the Department of Energy to recognize outstanding contributions toward increased energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation within the Federal sector. This is the premier energy award presented to Federal employees and draws attention to our increased Federal energy and water conservation efforts, as mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and Executive Order 12902 signed by President Clinton. It also underscores the Administration’s initiative to ‘reinvent government’ by recognizing those efforts which save energy, reduce the Federal deficit, promote a cleaner environment and create a stronger economy.”
1999
Fermilab Technology Award for Digital Photomultiplier Integrated Circuit
Bill received this award during the 1999 Technology Awards Ceremony, and was incredibly proud of the team he led while developing the DPMT, which included Fermilab engineers Ray Yarema, Tom Zimmerman, Jim Hoff, Maher Sarraj, and others.
He received the following citation: “Presented to William Foster in recognition of a valuable technology contribution of the Digital Photomultiplier Tube (DPMT) at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory on the occasion of the 1999 Technology Awards Ceremony.”