Sylvester James "Jim" Gates, Jr. was awarded the 2017 Wilson H. Elkins Professorship from the University System of Maryland (USM). The Elkins Professorships support professors and researchers who demonstrate exemplary ability to inspire students and whose professional work and scholarly endeavors make a positive impact at their institutions, across the USM, and beyond.
Gates, known for his work in supersymmetry and supergravity, was chosen for his "seminal research in his Center for Particle and String Theory and engaging students in that research."