Professor of Physics Maxim Olegovich Lavrentovich has received a Physical Review E Reviewer Excellence 2025 Award, a national recognition honoring exceptional contributions to the peer-review process within the Physical Review journals.
The Reviewer Excellence Award is presented to referees who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to maintaining the integrity, rigor, and quality of scientific publishing. Recipients are recognized for providing thorough, thoughtful, and constructive feedback that helps authors strengthen the clarity and impact of their work while upholding the high standards of the journals.
In addition to this year’s Reviewer Excellence Award, Professor Lavrentovich was also honored with the Outstanding Referee Award, a lifetime refereeing distinction from the American Physical Society journals. While the Outstanding Referee Award recognizes broad contributions across the Physical Review journals, the Reviewer Excellence Award specifically acknowledges his work for Physical Review E, a leading journal in his areas of expertise—statistical physics, biophysics, and soft matter physics.
“These recognitions mean a great deal to me, as peer review is essential to the scientific process,” said Lavrentovich. “Reviewing a single paper typically takes many days of effort, and the referee has a responsibility both to the authors and to the scientific community to provide constructive feedback that ensures published scientific work is coherent, rigorous, and advances human knowledge.”
Lavrentovich emphasized that the growing complexity of modern science makes careful peer review more important than ever.
“Science builds on its own ever-growing edifice, so reviewing new results requires increasingly in-depth study of the topic and the published literature,” he said. “This effort often goes unnoticed, and I appreciate that the Physical Review recognizes its importance. Receiving the honor from Physical Review E is especially meaningful to me, as it is where I published some of my first papers as a graduate student and where I received some of the most insightful and helpful referee reports. I hope my own reviewing has helped the next generation of scientists strengthen their work.”
Allison Dunn, Professor and Chair of Worcester State’s Department of Earth, Environment, and Physics, noted the broader impact of the recognition. “This national recognition highlights Professor Lavrentovich’s exceptional contributions as both a scholar and reviewer,” Dunn said. “His sustained engagement in the field strengthens our students’ experience and enhances Worcester State’s research profile.”
Lavrentovich’s awards reflect Worcester State University’s commitment to academic excellence, research integrity, and meaningful participation in the global scientific community.
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