Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking to step down as Lucasian professor at Cambridge
By APWednesday, September 30, 2009
Hawking to step down as Lucasian professor
LONDON — Physicist Stephen Hawking is stepping down as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.
The roughly 350-year-old post has been held by such luminaries as Isaac Newton and Charles Babbage, one of the fathers of modern computing. Hawking steps down from the post Wednesday — but will still work at the university as before.
It is customary for professors to retire from the post the year they turn 67. Hawking, famous for his research on black holes and his popular works in theoretical physics, reached that age in January.
University spokeswoman Genevieve Maul says an advertisement seeking a new academic for the job has been posted and that Hawking’s replacement will be announced shortly.
