معرفی
Smadar Naoz is a Professor at UCLA’s Department of Physics & Astronomy, holding the Howard and Astrid Preston Chair in Astrophysics. She is a member of the Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics and serves on its executive committee. Her research spans theoretical astrophysics, focusing on dynamical problems from cosmology to black holes, gravitational waves, stars, and extrasolar planets. Notable contributions include the discovery of the Eccentric Kozai-Lidov (EKL) mechanism and studies on Supersonically-Induced Gas Objects (SIGOs).
Education: PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics from Tel Aviv University (advisor: Rennan Barkana), MSc from The Hebrew University (advisor: Nir Shaviv).
Research interests emphasize triple-body system dynamics, planetary system evolution, and early universe structure formation. Her work bridges astrophysical scales, influencing fields like exoplanet dynamics and galactic evolution.
Scientific awards include the UCLA Career Commitment to Diversity DEI Award (2019) and postdoctoral fellowships from IAU Gruber and Harvard-Smithsonian CfA. She advocates for diversity and inclusion in science, emphasizing human-centric approaches to scientific excellence.
Her group actively explores topics such as Hot Jupiter formation, galactic center dynamics, and SIGOs’ role in globular clusters. Outreach efforts include workshops for neuro-diverse students and public engagement through media collaborations.
