The APS was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1743 to pursue equally "all philosophical Experiments that let Light into the Nature of Things, tend to increase the Power of Man over Matter, and multiply the Conveniencies or Pleasures of Life." George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were among the first members of APS.

According to APS "Election to the APS honors extraordinary accomplishments in all fields. Presently, there are over 900 members around the world, though 85% of the membership resides in the United States. In the course of the twentieth century, over 200 members of the Society have received the Nobel Prize."

The name of Rashid Sunyaev is associated with many key advances in the Physical Cosmology and High Energy Astrophysics. His seminal paper with Nikolay Shakura on the disk accretion onto black holes in binary systems is among the most cited papers in astrophysics (more than 3500 citations according to NASA/ADS). Similarly widely known are the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect and the prediction of barionic oscillations and Doppler peaks in the angular spectrum of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation made by Rashid Sunyaev and Yakov Zeldovich. These theoretical works layed basis for modern tools for cosmological studies, actively used now by ground based and space telescopes.

Prof. Sunyaev is also a Full member of Russian Academy of Sciences, a Foreign Associate of USA National Academy of Sciences and a member of several other academies.

Further information can be obtained from:
Cornelia Rickl, Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik,
Tel. 089/30000-2201,
Fax: 089 30000-2235,
E-mail: crickl mpa-garching.mpg.de