Saurabh W. Jha

Saurabh W. Jha is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers University. His primary research focuses on supernova physics, particularly the observational properties of Type Ia, Ib, Ic, and II supernovae, with an emphasis on circumstellar interaction, progenitor constraints, and cosmological applications. He is a key member of the High-Z Supernova Search Team, which contributed to the discovery of dark energy and received the 2015 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

He has been recognized with prestigious awards including the 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship, AAAS Fellowship, and multiple listings as a Highly Cited Researcher. His work leverages advanced facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope, JWST, and ground-based observatories such as SALT and LCO. Notable projects include studies of lensed supernovae (e.g., SN Zwicky/2022qmx) for cosmological measurements and investigations into unusual supernova subclasses like Iax and Ibn.

Dr. Jha has advised graduate students including Viraj Pandya (Rutgers B.S. 2013), Curtis McCully, and Brandon Patel. His research also extends to instrumentation, including the proposed UVIa CubeSat mission for ultraviolet transient observations. He has received grants such as the NSF CAREER Award and SAS Teaching Excellence awards for his contributions to undergraduate education.