Ryan Lang

Ryan Lang serves as a Principal Lecturer in the Concourse program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), teaching physics since his return to the institution in 2019. His academic journey is deeply rooted at MIT, where he completed all his degrees before transitioning into his current instructional role.

His educational background includes:

• S.B. in Electrical Engineering (2002) from MIT
• S.B. in Physics (2003) from MIT
• M.Eng. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (2003) from MIT
• Ph.D. in Physics (2009) from MIT

Lang's research centers on astrophysics and Einstein's theory of general relativity, with significant contributions to gravitational-wave astronomy through his active membership in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration since 2015. His work focuses on detecting cosmic signals from extreme phenomena like black hole and neutron star mergers, advancing our understanding of spacetime dynamics and relativistic astrophysics. This research bridges theoretical frameworks with observational data from gravitational-wave detectors.

Outside his academic duties, Lang participates annually in the MIT Mystery Hunt puzzle competition and maintains personal interests in board games, Boston Red Sox baseball, and family activities. His interdisciplinary approach connects physics education with cutting-edge research in gravitational phenomena.