The results of the thirteenth edition of the IceCube Impact Awards were announced during IceCube’s spring collaboration meeting dinner at the Rote Bete, Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany. During the ceremony, IceCube spokesperson Erin O’Sullivan gave each recipient a certificate and mug to commemorate their achievements.
The awardees are Vedant Basu (University of Utah); Emmett Krupczak (Michigan State University); Angela Zegarelli (Ruhr-Universität Bochum); and Timo Karg (DESY), recipient of the IceCube Legacy Impact Award.
The IceCube Impact Awards, established in 2018, recognize broad and significant contributions to IceCube that are normally not acknowledged through its scientific publications. The award is split into the following three categories: individual, legacy, and group awards.
The 2026 awardees and their contributions are highlighted below:
The 2026 IceCube Individual Impact Awards
Vedant Basu
For providing critical engineering support to Upgrade drilling operations during the 2024/2025 field season, stepping well beyond his formal role.
Emmett Krupczak
For leadership and coordination of mDOM assembly and testing and key contributions to the successful delivery of mDOMs for the IceCube Upgrade.
Angela Zegarelli
For leadership in modernizing and automating the IceCube real-time alert distribution system.
The 2026 IceCube Legacy Impact Award
Timo Karg
For long-standing contributions to IceCube through the development of the mDOM and data acquisition hardware, and for excellence in mentoring and supporting early‑career scientists.