Walter Hardy was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada today for “his pioneering contributions to the fields of particle physics, materials science and high-temperature superconductivity, as a distinguished theorist and experimentalist.” Hardy, now Professor Emeritus in the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Department of Physics & Astronomy, is known worldwide for his work across multiple branches of physics, ranging from ground-breaking work on high-temperature superconductivity at UBC, to the first trapping and spectroscopy of antihydrogen at CERN. He has had enormous influence on the development of research in quantum matter in Canada, fueling the development of nation-wide expertise and the start of UBC’s Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute.
Hardy’s great talent has been his imaginative ability to conceive of wholly new ways of doing experiments, coupled to tremendous technical knowledge and skill.