Krishna Rajagopal

Krishna Rajagopal is the William A. M. Burden Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), affiliated with the Department of Physics and the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics -- a Leinweber Institute (CTP-LI). He has held significant administrative roles including Associate Head of the Department of Physics, Chair of the MIT faculty (2015-2017), and Dean for Digital Learning (2017-2021).

Professor Rajagopal's academic background:

• Bachelor's degree from Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
• Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University (1993)
• Junior Fellow at Harvard University (1993-1996)
• Postdoctoral position at Caltech (1996-1997)

His research focuses on Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) under extreme conditions, particularly the quark-gluon plasma created in heavy ion collisions and color-superconducting phases of quark matter in neutron stars. He investigates the QCD phase diagram including critical point signatures, hydrodynamic behavior of primordial liquids, and jet quenching phenomena. His work bridges particle physics, nuclear theory, condensed matter physics, and astrophysics through innovative applications of gauge/string duality and perturbative QCD.

Professor Rajagopal's scientific awards and honors:

• Arthur C. Smith Award (2025) for contributions to undergraduate student life
• Buechner Award for Undergraduate Advising (2023, 2022)
• Outstanding UROP Faculty Mentor Award (2017)
• Everett Moore Baker Award for Excellence in Teaching (2011)
• American Physical Society Fellow (2004) for dense matter theory contributions
• Sloan Research Fellowship (1998)

Renowned for exceptional undergraduate mentorship, he has shaped MIT's digital learning initiatives and advised numerous UROP students. His theoretical research continues to advance understanding of QCD matter through the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics.