Prof. Jim Truran, JINA co-founder, 1940-2022

Prof. Jim Truran from the University of Chicago passed away on March 5, 2022. In 2002 Jim was one of the co-founders of the original Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA). For decades he had been a pioneer in the field of nuclear astrophysics and his ideas on nucleosynthesis, novae, and supernovae continue to shape our work today. In particular Jim was an early embodiment of the idea of astrophysics theorists like himself working closely with nuclear experimentalists and observers  - a concept that defined the field and also forms the basis of JINA.

In 2020 he received the Laboratory Astrophysics Prize of the Laboratory Astrophysics Division (LAD) of the American Astronomical Society and in 2021 the Hans A. Bethe Prize of the American Physical Society.
Most importantly Jim was an incredibly kind person and his positive influence and support of early career scientists including women and other underrepresented minorities shaped the field far beyond his scientific contributions. He was a dear friend and mentor to all of us and will be missed dearly.