David Todd Wilkinson

David Todd Wilkinson (13 May 1935-5 Sep 2002) was a world-renowned pioneer in the field of cosmology, specializing in the study of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) left over from the Big Bang. He was born in Hillsdale, Michigan, and earned his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Michigan under the supervision of H. Richard Crane.

He was a Professor of Physics at Princeton University from 1965 until his retirement in 2002. He made fundamental contributions to many major CMB experiments, including two NASA satellites, the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) named in his honor after his untimely death.

His numerous accolades include the Princeton President's Award for Distinguished Teaching and the James Craig Watson Medal (2001).