Kate Scholberg

Kate Scholberg is an Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor of Physics at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, where she has been a faculty member since 2004. She also serves as an Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society and holds the Bass Fellowship. Her research focuses on experimental particle physics, particularly neutrino physics, with significant involvement in major international collaborations including Super-Kamiokande, T2K, and DUNE.

Dr. Scholberg earned her B.Sc. from McGill University in 1989, followed by an M.S. in 1991 and a Ph.D. in 1996, both from the California Institute of Technology. Her academic career at Duke has progressed from Assistant Professor (2004-2007) to Associate Professor (2007-2012), Professor (2012-present), and ultimately Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor (2018-present). She has held various leadership roles including Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Chair of the Physics Department.

Dr. Scholberg's research centers on neutrino physics, with a particular focus on experimental investigations of neutrino properties and interactions. Her work spans multiple major international collaborations, including Super-Kamiokande in Japan, the T2K ("Tokai to Kamioka") high-intensity beam experiment, and DUNE (Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment). She has made significant contributions to neutrino oscillation measurements, supernova neutrino detection, and the search for proton decay. Her research bridges particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, with implications for understanding fundamental symmetries and the evolution of the universe.

Analysis of Dr. Scholberg's recent publications reveals a strong focus on neutrino detection technologies and applications. Her work spans neutrino oscillations, supernova neutrino detection, proton decay searches, and neutrino-nucleus interactions. The research demonstrates increasing integration of machine learning techniques for data analysis and a growing emphasis on multimessenger astronomy applications. Her collaborations span multiple detector technologies including water Cherenkov (Super-Kamiokande), liquid argon time projection chambers (DUNE), and scintillator-based detectors (COHERENT).

• Kathryn A. McCarthy Lectureship in Physics (Tufts University, 2024)
• AAAS Fellow (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2023)
• Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences (2022)
• American Physical Society Outstanding Referee (2019)
• Breakthrough Prize in Physics (Super-K and T2K collaborations, 2016)
• Fellow of American Physical Society (2013)
• Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program (National Science Foundation, 2004)
• Outstanding Junior Investigator (Department of Energy, 2003)

Dr. Scholberg has secured substantial research funding, including as Principal Investigator for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment Project (2015-2026) and the REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Nuclear Particle Physics at TUNL and Duke (2022-2027). She also leads the HDR Institute: Accelerated AI Algorithms for Data-Driven Discovery (2021-2026) and multiple projects related to the SuperNova Early Warning System. Her research program supports numerous graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduate research assistants.

Dr. Scholberg is deeply involved in several major international collaborations. She plays a key role in Super-Kamiokande, where gadolinium loading has enhanced neutron detection capabilities. She is also a leading member of the DUNE collaboration, which aims to advance our understanding of neutrino properties using next-generation detectors. Additionally, she contributes to the COHERENT experiment studying coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering and the SNEWS (SuperNova Early Warning System) project that coordinates global supernova neutrino detection efforts.