Leading Particle Physicist and Higgs Expert Coming to the University of Siegen

Professor Tao Han will be researching at the University of Siegen thanks to support from the Humboldt Foundation.

The University of Pittsburgh's Professor Tao Han, an elementary particle physicist, is a world-renowned expert in Higgs physics. He will conduct regular research visits to the University of Siegen as part of the Humboldt Research Award.

Professor Tao Han, an elementary particle physicist and Higgs expert, has received the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Award. With the prize money of 60,000 euros, the American scientist can now conduct research at the University of Siegen for up to twelve months. His host will be Professor Wolfgang Kilian from the Siegen Research Group for Theoretical Particle Physics. It was Kilian who nominated Han for the research prize.

I am truly thrilled that we have succeeded in bringing Professor Han to the University of Siegen through the Humboldt Research Award. Professor Han is a distinguished expert in the field of particle physics; his name is naturally familiar to everyone in our field. For our early career researchers and students, this is a fantastic opportunity to work and learn under one of the luminaries in the field,” Kilian noted.

"The University of Siegen has an outstanding research program in particle physics. I’ve already had the chance to work with several physicists I know, as well as with the students in Siegen. Which makes it all the more a pleasure for me that the Siegen department of physics will be most host institute for my Humboldt research prize. I’m very much looking forward to my upcoming visits to the University of Siegen and to continue my collaboration with my colleagues in Siegen on collider and flavor physics,” Han stated. Professor Han’s expertise is an excellent complement and extension of the existing “Color Meets Flavor” project, which the University of Siegen is conducting with colleagues at the universities of Bonn and Dortmund and Forschungszentrum Jülich. The project is currently part of the second — and final — round of the excellence strategy of the federal and state governments. The decision on the excellence cluster will be announced in May 2025.

Professor Han researches into theoretical elementary particle physics, with a focus on high-energy accelerators in combination with astroparticle physics and cosmology. During his time in Siegen, Han will work with Professor Kilian and his team on examining the highest levels of energy. “We are exploring the concept of a groundbreaking particle accelerator capable of colliding particles at significantly higher energy levels than previously possible. We are working together to develop, among other things, theories on what new physical phenomena could be investigated with such an accelerator,” Professor Kilian explains.

Over the course of his career, Professor Han has published a strong collection of much-cited research works, including one that has been referenced in more than 1,000 other studies. He also served from 2019 to 2022 as the chairman of the American Physical Society (APS) in the area of particle physics. This past October, Han was also awarded the APS’ “Meenakshi Narain Mentoring Award.” The American Physical Society is a non-profit organization representing more than 50,000 physicists worldwide. The mentoring award honors outstanding efforts in mentoring and sustainable, considerate support for early career researchers.

Professor Han is expected to make his first research visit to the University of Siegen in early summer. In autumn he will also take part in the German “Advanced School on Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics,” held annually in Bad Honnef, Germany with participation from Siegen particle physicists to promote the careers of doctoral students.

Contact:
Professor Wolfgang Kilian (Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics)
Email: kilian@physik.uni-siegen.de
Tel.: +49 271 740-3831