Jeffrey P Filippini

Jeffrey P. Filippini is an active Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Illinois, with a joint appointment in both departments within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. He serves as Associate Head for Research and Facilities in the Physics Department and leads significant research initiatives in cosmology and instrumentation development.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Physics, University of California, Berkeley (2008)
• A.B. in Chemistry and Physics summa cum laude, Harvard University (2002)

Filippini's research focuses on the intersection of cosmology and particle physics, specifically studying the universe at both its largest and smallest scales. His work spans observational cosmology with the cosmic microwave background (CMB), particle astrophysics, and advanced instrumentation development. He leads major projects including SPIDER (a balloon-borne CMB polarimeter), the BICEP/Keck Array program at the South Pole, and the Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM), which studies star formation history through far-infrared spectroscopy. His instrumentation work often involves detectors operated at sub-Kelvin temperatures.

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on CMB polarization measurements, millimeter-wave instrumentation, and terahertz detector development. The research spans both balloon-borne and ground-based experiments, with significant emphasis on instrumentation challenges and data analysis techniques needed to probe fundamental cosmological questions.

Filippini actively mentors graduate students, with Ph.D. candidates like Elle Shaw and Sho Gibbs contributing to his SPIDER and TIM projects. His teaching portfolio includes undergraduate physics courses such as Thermal Physics and Quantum Physics, where he has been recognized as an Excellent Teacher by students.

He plays a key role in major collaborations including SPIDER, BICEP/Keck Array, and CMB-S4, directing instrumentation development and data analysis efforts. His Antarctic expeditions for the SPIDER project demonstrate hands-on leadership in experimental cosmology, where he has overseen complex instrument deployment and operation in extreme environments.