Cynthia Keppel

Hampton, Va. – Dr. Cynthia Keppel has been named a 2011 recipient of the Virginia Outstanding Scientist Award. Keppel serves as a Hampton University (HU) Endowed Professor of Physics, staff scientist at the Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory (Jefferson Lab), and scientific and technical director of the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute (HUPTI).

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling will present the award at the Science Museum of Virginia’s annual General Assembly reception on Jan. 27.

Keppel has been a part of the HU family for over 15 years. She established and co-directs the HU joint medical physics program with the Eastern Virginia Medical School; it’s the first medical physics program in Virginia and the only one at a historically black college.

“Dr. Keppel has played a key role in the development of the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute since its inception,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey and the visionary behind HUPTI. “She is truly deserving of this honor. Her research and patents are advancing the technology behind cancer detection and treatment.”

HUPTI is the nation’s eighth and largest dedicated proton radiotherapy center. Proton therapy irradiates diseased tissues while sparing surrounding healthy tissue, making it one of the most advanced cancer treatments in the world today.

Keppel also founded the HU Center for Advanced Medical Instrumentation (CAMI), where researchers concentrate on technology development for nuclear medicine, radiation therapy and other medical applications. Her work at CAMI has resulted in 13 patents.

At Jefferson Lab, Keppel and the HU experimental nuclear physics group perform electron scattering experiments to study the fundamental structure of protons and neutrons. She is known internationally for this accelerator-based experimental nuclear physics work, where she has collaboratively authored 190 peer-reviewed publications.

Keppel serves on numerous advisory boards and has received several awards and accolades, including the Virginia State Council on Higher Education 2000 Outstanding Faculty Award. She recently received the 2010 Hampton Roads Technology Council High Tech Leadership Award, and was named a 2010 Virginia Lawyers Media’s Influential Women of Virginia.

Keppel received her Ph.D. and Master of Science degree from the American University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John’s College In Annapolis, MD.

Keppel is the third Hampton University professor to be named Virginia's Outstanding Scientist. Dr. M. Patrick McCormick and Dr. James M. Russell, co-chairs of the HU Center for Atmospheric Sciences, received the honor in 2007 and 2008 respectively.