David Spergel(Link is external), Princeton University’s Charles A. Young Professor of Astronomy on the Class of 1897 Foundation and chair of the Department of Astrophysical Sciences(Link is external), has received one of the top prizes in astronomy for his breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe. The American Astronomical Society and the American Institute of Physics presented Spergel and co-winner Marc Kamionkowski, a professor of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, with the 2015 Dannie Heineman Prize(Link is external) (Link opens in new window), which honors oustanding mid-career scientists and carries a cash prize of $10,000. Spergel and Kamionkowski were recognized for their “outstanding contributions to the investigation of the fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background that have led to major breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe.”