Emily Levesque

Emily Levesque is an Associate Professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Washington, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on massive stellar astrophysics, including the evolution and death of massive stars, star-forming galaxies, and transient phenomena like supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. She holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Hawaii (2010) and an S.B. in Physics from MIT (2006).

Levesque’s work combines observational and theoretical approaches to study evolved massive stars (e.g., red supergiants, Wolf-Rayet stars), Thorne-Zytkow objects, and the role of stellar populations in their host galaxies. Her research group, the UW Massive Stars team, includes graduate and undergraduate students focusing on cutting-edge projects in stellar astrophysics.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2010
  • S.B., Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006

Her recent publications include groundbreaking work on the star formation history of NGC 6946 (the “Fireworks Galaxy”), leveraging Hubble Space Telescope data. She has authored two academic textbooks—Understanding Stellar Evolution (with Henny Lamers) and Astrophysics of Red Supergiants—and a popular science book, The Last Stargazers.

• Awards:
  • 2023 Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award
  • 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship
  • 2020 Newton Lacy Pierce Prize
  • 2017 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship

Levesque’s advising spans graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom have pursued prestigious fellowships and academic roles. Her research also explores the societal impact of astronomy, blending science communication with cutting-edge astrophysics.