The National Science Foundation has been the principal supporter of the institute since it was founded as the Institute for Theoretical Physics in 1979. In a 2007 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, KITP was given the highest impact index in a comparison of nonbiomedical research organizations across the U.S.[1]
About
In the early 2000s, the institute, formerly known as the Institute for Theoretical Physics, or ITP, was named after businessman and philanthropist Fred Kavli, in recognition of his donation of $7.5 million to the institute.
Kohn Hall, which houses KITP, is located just beyond the Henley Gate at the East Entrance of the UCSB campus. The building was designed by the Driehaus Prize winner and New Classical architect Michael Graves, and a new wing designed by Graves was added in 2003–2004.
Members
The directors of the KITP have been:
Walter Kohn, 1979–1984 (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1998)