Jocelyn Read

Jocelyn Read serves as Professor of Physics at California State University Fullerton, where she bridges nuclear physics and astrophysics through gravitational-wave observations. From 2016 to 2022, she co-led the Extreme Matter team within the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra Collaboration, directing efforts to extract neutron-star equation-of-state constraints from gravitational-wave data. She currently contributes to Cosmic Explorer, a next-generation gravitational-wave observatory project designed to achieve unprecedented sensitivity for probing dense matter physics.

Her research program centers on connecting theoretical nuclear physics with observational gravitational-wave astronomy, specifically investigating how neutron-star mergers reveal properties of matter at supranuclear densities. By analyzing signals from events like GW170817 and GW190425, her work constrains the equation of state governing neutron-star interiors and examines tidal effects in binary systems. This research directly impacts fundamental questions about phase transitions in dense matter and the maximum mass of neutron stars.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2019-2023) reveals three dominant research thrusts: gravitational-wave data analysis of compact binary mergers (particularly using LIGO-Virgo-Kagra catalogs), equation-of-state modeling for neutron-star matter, and science-case development for future detectors like Cosmic Explorer. Her work consistently integrates multi-messenger astronomy approaches and advances waveform modeling techniques to extract maximum physical insight from gravitational-wave observations.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the American Physical Society

While specific student advisement details are not publicly documented, her leadership roles in major collaborations indicate significant mentoring contributions within the gravitational-wave community. Her grant activities remain unreported in available sources, though her Cosmic Explorer involvement suggests participation in large-scale instrumentation projects.

She maintains active roles in the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra Collaboration's scientific working groups and is a key contributor to the Cosmic Explorer project, which aims to deploy a 40-km arm-length detector by the 2030s. Her work within the Nicholas and Lee Begovich Center for Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy at CSU Fullerton positions her at the forefront of next-generation gravitational-wave science development.