Kaloyan Penev

Kaloyan Penev is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), affiliated with the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He leads the Exoplanet Research Group and holds an ORCID identifier. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University (2009), an M.S. from Harvard (2005), and a B.S. in Astronomy from Caltech (2003).

Research focuses on extrasolar planet detection, orbital dynamics, and tidal dissipation in planetary systems and binary stars. Key areas include transiting exoplanet discovery via robotic telescopes, precision photometry techniques, and tidal interactions in giant planets and low-mass stars. He has discovered numerous exoplanets (e.g., HATS series) and pioneered methods for measuring tidal dissipation in stellar systems.

He has secured significant funding as PI/Co-I on grants totaling over $1M from NASA programs, including studies on tidal dissipation rates, Roche-lobe overflow mechanisms, and exoplanet characterization. Notable awards include the 2018 Texas Astronomical Society Education & Outreach Award.

Professional roles include Assistant Professor at UTD (2017–2023), Associate Research Scholar at Princeton (2011–2017), and Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard (2009–2011). His work bridges observational astronomy and theoretical astrophysics, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Current projects involve analyzing TESS mission data and developing advanced photometric tools for exoplanet surveys.