As part of its Discovery and Innovation Awards, the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Iowa named David Miles 2026 Scholar of the Year. 

The award recognizes nationally distinguished achievement in research, scholarship, and creative activity in the past 24 months.

In 2023, Miles became the principal investigator for the largest external project in university history: TRACERS, the $171.6 million NASA-funded mission. Focused on understanding how Earth’s magnetosphere protects the planet from solar wind, the effort required major organizational and technical coordination. Miles restructured the project’s management and overcame significant challenges, leading the team to deliver the spacecraft for a successful launch on July 23, 2025.  

He is a leader in the field of space physics instrumentation, advancing magnetometer technology that helps scientists understand how Earth’s magnetic field stores and releases energy, driving space weather such as auroras.

“Professor Miles has successfully led the TRACERS mission to launch, the newest crown jewel in a long and storied history of space exploration led by the University of Iowa,” says Gregory Howes, professor and departmental executive officer (DEO) in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “The scientific contributions flowing from this achievement will remain a point of pride for the university for decades to come, and his innovative development of a new generation magnetic field instruments will cement Iowa’s reputation as a leader in space physics, both nationally and internationally.”

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognized 10 faculty and staff members with the Discovery and Innovation Awards, a longstanding program celebrating excellence in research, scholarship, creative activity, public engagement, and research support across the university.

“This year’s recipients are advancing high-impact work that addresses complex challenges, fuels innovation, and delivers meaningful benefits to communities in Iowa and around the world ,” says David Schwebel, vice president for research, “They reflect both individual excellence and the collaborative environment that makes research at the University of Iowa so impactful.”