Shrinivas R. Kulkarni

Shrinivas R. Kulkarni is the George Ellery Hale Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology. He leads the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy and serves as Director of Caltech Optical Observatories. His research focuses on compact objects, transient phenomena, planetary science, and advanced instrumentation. He pioneered projects like the Palomar Transient Factory and contributed to the Space Interferometry Mission. Educated at the Indian Institute of Technology (M.S., 1978) and UC Berkeley (Ph.D., 1983), he joined Caltech as a Millikan Fellow in 1985 and ascended through academic ranks to his current professorship. He also holds an honorary doctorate from Radboud University. His career spans studies of pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, and innovative observational techniques.

• Roles: Hale Professor, Former Executive Officer for Astronomy (1997–2000), Director of Caltech Optical Observatories (2006–2018)
• Research Highlights: Pioneered transient astronomy, discovered ultra-bright supernovae ("spasmanovae"), developed interferometry techniques

His academic leadership includes governance roles across observatories and initiatives in space science education. He balances research with interests in music and macro-finance.