Saul Perlmutter

Saul Perlmutter is a Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. A 2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics for discovering the accelerating expansion of the Universe, he leads the international Supernova Cosmology Project. He holds the Franklin W. and Karen Weber Dabby Chair and directs the Berkeley Institute for Data Science, while also serving as Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics.

Education: B.A. from Harvard University; Ph.D. in Physics from UC Berkeley.

Research focuses on cosmology, data science methodologies, and fostering scientific critical thinking. He advocates for teaching these skills to both scientists and the public, reflected in courses like Sense and Sensibility and Science and Physics & Music. Over 200 scientific publications and contributions to PBS, Discovery Channel, and BBC documentaries highlight his outreach efforts.

• Awards: Nobel Prize, National Academy of Sciences membership, AAAS fellowship.

Leadership roles include founding and directing major cosmology and data science initiatives. His work bridges academia and public engagement, emphasizing credibility in science communication.