Physics Professor Zein-Eddine Meziani, an internationally recognized researcher in nucleon and nuclear physics, has been named the recipient of the 2008 Temple University Faculty Research Award.

“Ever since I arrived at Temple, I have strived for consistency and excellence in my research, so it is very flattering to be recognized by my peers and colleagues with this award,” he said.

A particle physicist, Meziani joined Temple from Stanford University in 1993 and has become a leading researcher in trying to understand the spin structure of the proton and neutron, and he conducts the majority of his research at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory in Newport News, Va.

Meziani said he was attracted to Temple because he felt there was a genuine commitment to grow and improve the Physics Department. “I thought this was where I could have the greatest impact with my research and teaching,” he said.

“The closeness of Temple and Philadelphia to the Jefferson Lab has also been really important to me,” Meziani said. “It was a five-hour flight one-way from Stanford, and when you look at all of today’s security issues, it becomes even more problematic. But from Temple, I can drive there in a few hours.”

Elected a fellow of the American Physical Society for his investigative work at the Jefferson Lab and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Meziani also has played an instrumental role in determining the future of nuclear physics research.

He co-chaired a 2007 town meeting to help set the priorities of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Division of Nuclear Physics, and has been at the forefront of upgrading the Jefferson Lab’s Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility, having been a member of the upgrade’s steering committee and currently serving on the advisory committee that is overseeing the $300 million project.

But as much he loves his research, Meziani equally enjoys the educational side. “As soon as I see a bright student who loves physics, I try to get him or her working in my lab. To be honest with you, it is like I’m a kid again.”

Meziani earned his bachelor's degree in theoretical physics from the University of Algiers, and his master's and doctoral degrees in nuclear and particle physics from the University of Paris.

Meziani, who has been continuously funded by the Department of Energy since 1988, has had numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals, which often rank among the most cited works in nuclear physics. He is frequently an organizer, chair or presenter at leading conferences and symposia around the world.