Andrew Connor is a Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Ancient History at Monash University. He specializes in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, papyrology, and the social and religious history of ancient Egyptian communities. His research focuses on Egyptian temples during the Roman period, ancient economic practices, and the editing and publication of documentary papyri. Connor has particular expertise in the Fayum depression and Dakhleh Oasis regions. Connor's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Egyptian religious institutions, economic systems, and textual evidence from archaeological sites. His recent work includes publications on temple administration, Greek papyri, and digital archaeology. He has received multiple teaching awards including the Faculty Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2017), Faculty Citation for Overseas Programs (2018), and Vice Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2018). Connor teaches courses on Greek and Roman history, archaeology, and ancient languages at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He serves as Honours Coordinator for the School of Philosophical, Historical, and International Studies.
Allison Kirkpatrick is an Associate Professor, Associate Chair, and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Kansas. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between supermassive black holes and galaxy evolution through observational astronomy. Dr. Kirkpatrick earned her PhD in Astronomy from the University of Massachusetts in 2016 and her BS in Mathematics from the University of Florida in 2007. Prior to joining KU in 2018, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. Her research centers on observational studies of supermassive black holes and their effect on galaxy evolution. She utilizes data from major space telescopes including Spitzer, Herschel, Hubble, Chandra, and the James Webb Space Telescope. She is particularly known for coining the term "cold quasar" in 2019 to describe galaxies hosting luminous unobscured AGN while simultaneously maintaining prodigious star formation. Dr. Kirkpatrick serves as Principal Investigator for the MIRI EGS Galaxy and AGN (MEGA) survey, a 67-hour Cycle 2 JWST observing campaign that represents the largest area MIRI survey in more than 3 filters. Her work has been featured extensively in the press, with coverage in NewScientist, The Atlantic, Space.com, and other major media outlets from 2019-2024. She actively contributes to diversity and inclusion efforts in astronomy as the inaugural chair of her department's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, faculty liaison for the Diversity in Physics group, and former Co-Director of the university's Multicultural Scholars Program.
Professor David Alexander is a distinguished academic at Durham University's Department of Physics, where he serves as Professor and Chair of Board of Examiners. His responsibilities include Head of Section for Astronomy and Director of Postgraduate Research, demonstrating his significant leadership role within the department. Alexander is also responsible for teaching the Stars Lecturer component of the Level 2 Stars and Galaxies course. His primary research interests focus on Active Galactic Nuclei, black holes, and galaxy formation and evolution, representing core areas in modern astrophysics. Alexander's work spans observational and theoretical aspects of high-energy astrophysics, with particular emphasis on understanding the connections between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies across cosmic time. His research leverages data from major international facilities including NuSTAR, ALMA, DESI, and XMM-Newton, conducting multi-wavelength studies that combine X-ray, infrared, optical, and radio observations. Analysis of his most recent publications reveals a strong focus on AGN demographics, obscuration mechanisms, quasar environments, and the role of AGN in galaxy evolution. His work frequently explores the connection between AGN activity and galaxy properties, with particular attention to the cosmic evolution of these relationships. Recent papers demonstrate increasing emphasis on large-scale surveys and statistical approaches to understanding AGN populations. Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2000-2012) Philip Leverhulme Prize (2000-2008) Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2000-2003) Thomson Reuters ESI highly cited researcher over 2002-2012 Professor Alexander has been instrumental in numerous major survey projects including the NuSTAR extragalactic surveys, DESI quasar studies, and the VST ATLAS Quasar Survey. His collaborative work spans international teams and leverages cutting-edge observational facilities across the electromagnetic spectrum. His research group focuses on understanding the physical processes that govern AGN activity and their connection to galaxy evolution, with particular emphasis on obscured AGN populations and their role in the cosmic black hole growth history.
David W. Hogg is Professor of Physics and Data Science in the Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics in the Department of Physics at New York University. He serves as Senior Research Scientist in the Astronomical Data Group in the Center for Computational Astrophysics of the Flatiron Institute and maintains an affiliation with the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie in Heidelberg. His primary research focuses on observational cosmology, particularly approaches that use galaxies to infer physical properties of the Universe. He also conducts significant research on stellar kinematics in the Milky Way and the measurement and discovery of exoplanets. Across all domains, Hogg develops engineering systems and statistical methodologies that enable large-scale astrophysical projects for both his research group and the broader community. Recent work demonstrates expertise in robust statistical methods, particularly dimensionality reduction techniques like Robust-HMF. His research bridges theoretical statistics with practical applications in major astronomical surveys including Gaia, SDSS-V, and SPHEREx. He frequently explores connections between Bayesian and frequentist approaches to astronomical data analysis, with recent work on nuisance parameter integration, anomaly detection, and robust matrix factorization. Research supported by NYU, NASA, NSF, Moore Foundation, Sloan Foundation Additional support from Max Planck Society, Humboldt Foundation, ERC, Simons Foundation Hogg is actively involved in major astronomical projects including Astrometry.net, Gaia, and SDSS, with long-term comprehensive goals of analyzing all galaxies, stars, and astronomical images. His work emphasizes open science principles, reproducible research practices, and the development of publicly accessible tools for the astronomical community.
Laura Blecha is an Associate Professor in the Physics Department at the University of Florida, specializing in astrophysics. Her research focuses on supermassive black hole (SMBH) and galaxy evolution through numerical simulations and observational collaborations. PhD from Harvard University (2012) Full Member of NANOGrav pulsar timing collaboration Associate Member of the LISA Consortium Her work spans three primary areas: SMBH Formation & Evolution : Origins of SMBHs, galaxy merger-driven growth, and intermediate-mass black hole demographics AGN Fueling & Feedback : Hydrodynamic simulations of AGN activation mechanisms and observational bias in AGN detection Binary SMBH Dynamics : Gravitational wave recoil effects, three-body interactions, and pulsar timing array detection strategies Recent publications (2025) focus on dual AGN detection with Keck AO, JWST studies of primordial galaxies, and NANOGrav gravitational wave background analysis. Her group develops sub-grid models for SMBH dynamics in cosmological simulations and investigates signatures of black hole mergers in galaxy clusters. Laura's research combines computational methods (Illustris, BRAHMA simulations) with observational validation through: JWST NIRSpec spectroscopy Pulsar Timing Array analysis Multiwavelength imaging campaigns
Bryan E. Penprase is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Vice President for Sponsored Research and External Academic Relations at Soka University of America. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and degrees from Stanford University. His research spans archeoastronomy, quasar absorption line spectroscopy, and liberal arts education in Asia. Penprase has served as Dean of Faculty at SUA, a founding faculty member of Yale-NUS College, and Chair of Physics and Astronomy at Pomona College. Education: PhD, Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago (1992) MS, Applied Physics, Stanford University BS, Physics, Stanford University Research interests include: Global liberal arts curriculum design Cultural astronomy Type Ia supernova dynamics His recent academic leadership includes developing SUA's interdisciplinary Life Sciences program, launching Teaching Innovation Grants, and organizing international conferences on STEM education. Penprase has authored/co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles and two books on astrophysics and education. Key administrative roles: Director, Yale-NUS Centre for Teaching and Learning Member, NUS Teaching Academy Co-founder, Liberal Arts Consortium for Online Learning (LACOL)
Norm Murray is a Professor at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) within the University of Toronto . With a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (1986), his research spans nonlinear dynamics , planetary formation , solar system evolution , and active galactic nuclei . His work combines theoretical physics with observational data from radio telescopes, X-ray satellites, and cosmological simulations. Recent research focuses on galaxy formation (via FIRE simulations), dark matter interactions in dwarf galaxies, and AGN disk dynamics . He employs machine learning for planetary collision modeling and investigates the interplay of magnetohydrodynamics and radiative transfer in quasar environments. Publications highlight his expertise in computational astrophysics, spanning topics from cosmic molecular gas mapping to the stability of exoplanetary systems.
Christopher Kochanek is a Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar in the Department of Astronomy at The Ohio State University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. His expertise lies in cosmology, gravitational lensing, and supernovae. He earned his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology (1989) and a B.A. from Cornell University (1985). His research focuses on using gravitational lensing to study dark energy, dark matter substructures, and quasar accretion disks. He pioneered time-domain astronomy, exploring variability in massive stars and quasars, and co-led the ASAS-SN project for all-sky supernova detection. Key achievements include the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics (2020) and the AAS Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize (shared 2020). His work spans binary neutron star mergers, Milky Way mass estimation, and dust-obscured stellar explosions. Recent studies analyze supernova progenitors and long-term variability trends in transient events. Awards: Heineman Prize (2020), Tinsley Prize (2020) Grants & Projects: ASAS-SN collaboration with Prof. Stanek, dark energy constraints via lensing, and Milky Way dynamics. Labs/Teams: Active in the Ohio State Astronomy Instrumentation Group and ASAS-SN observatory network.
Professor Leah Morabito is a Professor (Research) - UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at Durham University, affiliated with the Department of Physics and the Institute for Computational Cosmology. She specializes in high-resolution imaging at low frequencies using the LOFAR telescope to study how supermassive black holes co-evolve with their host galaxies. As leader of the LOFAR Imaging of Resolved AGN (LIRA) group, she has made significant contributions to our understanding of active galactic nuclei and galaxy evolution through numerous high-impact publications. Professor Morabito's research primarily focuses on AGN physics, galaxy surveys, and radio interferometry. She has pioneered techniques for sub-arcsecond imaging at low radio frequencies, which has opened new windows for studying radio jets, galaxy evolution, and the interstellar medium. Her work reveals critical insights about AGN feedback mechanisms and the connection between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies across cosmic time. The analysis of her recent publications shows a strong emphasis on utilizing LOFAR's unique capabilities to study radio sources with unprecedented resolution at low frequencies. Scientific Recognition: UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Professor Morabito actively mentors the next generation of astronomers, currently supervising PhD students Benite Tantely, Ciera Sargent, and Emmy Escott. Her research is supported by significant funding through her UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship and her role as co-Principal Investigator of the new LOFAR2.0 Large Programme, which extends her work on high-resolution low-frequency radio surveys. She has secured substantial research funding that enables cutting-edge observations and supports her research team. As leader of the LOFAR Imaging of Resolved AGN (LIRA) group, Professor Morabito oversees a collaborative research effort focused on advancing our understanding of how AGN help shape galaxy evolution. Her team utilizes unique high-resolution, low-frequency observations to study radio jets, AGN feedback mechanisms, and the connection between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies, contributing significantly to one of the most fundamental questions in modern astrophysics.
Kyle Dawson is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah, where he has been employed since 2009. He currently serves as both a full Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, having progressed from Assistant Professor (2008-2015) to Associate Professor (2015-2019) before achieving his current position in 2019. His institutional affiliation places him within the College of Science at the University of Utah, a major research university in the western United States. Dawson earned his BA in Physics from Cornell University in 1998, followed by a PhD in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004. After completing his doctoral studies, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory before joining the University of Utah faculty. His educational background in physics provided the foundation for his transition into observational cosmology, where he has made significant contributions through large-scale spectroscopic surveys. Professor Dawson's research focuses on observational cosmology through large spectroscopic surveys designed to measure the fundamental properties of the universe. He is currently the co-Spokesperson for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a major cosmological survey that has produced numerous high-impact publications in 2024-2025. Previously, he served as Principal Investigator for the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), which concluded in 2020 with final cosmological measurements. His work centers on measuring baryon acoustic oscillations to constrain cosmic expansion history, dark energy properties, neutrino masses, and to test General Relativity. His research group employs techniques including galaxy clustering analysis, quasar astrophysics, and large-scale structure mapping to address fundamental questions in cosmology. The analysis of Dawson's recent publications reveals a strong focus on extracting cosmological constraints from the DESI survey data. His work spans multiple aspects of cosmological analysis, including baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, full-shape power spectrum analysis, imaging systematics mitigation, and cross-correlation studies with cosmic microwave background data. The publications demonstrate collaborative work with large international teams and contribute to increasingly precise measurements of cosmological parameters, with particular attention to dark energy equation of state, neutrino masses, and potential deviations from General Relativity. Professor Dawson has secured significant research funding throughout his career, including multiple grants from the Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, and the National Science Foundation. His grant portfolio includes leadership roles in major cosmological surveys like DESI and eBOSS, as well as support for postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. His research group has mentored numerous students who have gone on to successful careers in academia, industry, and data science fields. Dawson leads a vibrant research group at the University of Utah focused on cosmological data analysis from large spectroscopic surveys. His current team includes two postdoctoral researchers (Angela Berti and Sarah Eftekharzadeh) and a graduate student (Allyson Brodzeller). The group specializes in galaxy clustering analysis, quasar astrophysics, and machine learning applications to spectroscopic data. The research environment fosters collaboration with international teams working on DESI and related cosmological surveys, providing students with opportunities to engage with cutting-edge cosmological research and large-scale data analysis techniques.
Tobias Marriage is a Professor in the William H. Miller III Department of Physics & Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, within the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. He co-leads the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS) project and contributed to the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) by designing its initial receiver and analysis pipeline. His research focuses on understanding the universe's evolution through measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and studying dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) and galaxy clusters. Education: PhD in Physics from Princeton University. He actively collaborates on large-scale cosmological surveys and develops cutting-edge instrumentation for millimeter-wave observations, including aerogel filters and polarization-sensitive detectors. His work addresses fundamental questions about cosmic inflation, reionization, and the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect in galaxy clusters. Research highlights include leading the CLASS telescope’s design and operations, analyzing ACT data for extragalactic point sources, and exploring quasar feedback mechanisms. His contributions span both observational cosmology and instrument innovation, with a focus on maximizing sensitivity and reducing noise in CMB measurements. Notable projects include the CLASS experiment’s E-mode polarization measurements and efforts to characterize the physical properties of high-redshift DSFGs. He emphasizes the need for future space-based far-infrared telescopes to advance studies of these galaxies. His work also includes calibrating galaxy cluster masses via weak-lensing techniques and improving data analysis pipelines for large-scale surveys.
Bharat Ratra is a Professor at the Department of Physics , Kansas State University , focusing on Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics . He develops theoretical models of the universe's large-scale structure and tests them using observational data, particularly from cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) anisotropy, dark energy dynamics, and large-scale matter distribution . His work frequently involves collaborations with the Kansas State University High Energy Physics Group , University of Kansas Cosmology Group , and use of computational resources at the Kansas State University Center for Scientific Supercomputing . Ratra's research has been supported by the National Science Foundation , and he has made significant contributions to understanding the time-variable cosmological constant , inflationary models , and dark energy through over 50 publications. His 15 most recent selected publications focus on constraining cosmological parameters using supernova data, CMBR anisotropy experiments (COBE, MAX, ARGO, White Dish), and large-scale structure observations, with a particular emphasis on Hubble constant determination, spatial curvature analysis, and dark energy dynamics . Among his research advisees is Silviu Podariu , and he has collaborated with postdoctoral associates such as Dr. Pia Mukherjee , Dr. Tarun Souradeep , and Dr. Graca Rocha (now at University of Oxford). Ratra's work bridges theoretical cosmology with observational data to refine our understanding of the universe's geometry and evolution.
Prof. Sherry Suyu is an Associate Professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and a Max Planck Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA). Her research focuses on probing the dark cosmos through gravitational lensing, dark energy, dark matter, and supermassive black holes. She leads the H0LiCOW program measuring the universe's expansion rate using lensed quasars and the HOLISMOKES program studying lensed supernovae. Her work has been supported by an ERC Consolidator Grant. Education and Affiliations: PhD in Physics from Caltech (2008), postdoctoral positions at UC Santa Barbara and Stanford University. Joint appointments at MPA (since 2016) and TUM. Member of the Excellence Cluster ORIGINS. Holds honorary positions including Emmy Noether Visiting Fellowship at Perimeter Institute (2018). Research Interests: Gravitational lensing, cosmic expansion rate, galaxy evolution, supernovae, tidal disruption events, and deep learning applications. Her group studies galaxy clusters, dark matter distribution, and cosmological models using lensing techniques. Awards: 2021 Berkeley Prize (AAS), 2024 ISIMM Senior Prize. Over 90 peer-reviewed publications. Teaches courses on extragalactic astrophysics and gravitational lensing at TUM. Labs/Teams: Head of the Observational Cosmology Group at TUM-MPA. Collaborates internationally with institutions in the US, Europe, Japan, and Taiwan. Supervises postdocs, PhD students, and bachelor/master researchers.
Laurence Perreault-Levasseur is an Associate Professor at Université de Montréal and an Associate Member of Mila. She specializes in applying machine learning methods to cosmology, with affiliations at the Flatiron Institute and Perimeter Institute. Her research focuses on gravitational lensing, dark matter, and precision cosmology. She holds a Canada Research Chair in Computational Cosmology and Artificial Intelligence. Education: PhD (University of Cambridge, 2015), M.Sc. and B.Sc. (McGill University). Research Interests: Machine learning for cosmological inference, strong gravitational lensing, galaxy cluster characterization, and dark matter studies. Affiliations: CRAQ (Québec Astrophysics Research Centre), Mila (Quebec AI Institute). Her work includes developing Bayesian methods for inverse problems and neural networks for astrophysical data analysis. Key projects involve precision cosmology via machine learning and reconstructing early-universe conditions using generative models.
Nadia Zakamska is a Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University and serves as Vice Chair for Academics. She holds a PhD from Princeton University and has held fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Study and Stanford University. Her research focuses on observational and theoretical astrophysics, including quasar-driven galactic winds, stellar variability, binary systems, and the co-evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. Her work leverages cutting-edge facilities like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Key research areas include: (1) Discovery of galactic winds powered by supermassive black holes, which influence galaxy formation and star formation suppression. (2) Exploration of variable astrophysical phenomena using surveys like LSST and WISE, with a focus on binary stars, white dwarfs, and neutron star mergers. (3) Analysis of dual quasars and their role in galaxy mergers. Recent achievements include detecting extreme outflows in 'extremely red quasars' and using JWST to study starburst galaxies. Zakamska has mentored over 30 graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom have pursued postdoctoral roles at prestigious institutions. She leads the JWST Early Release Science Program Q3D and collaborates on projects like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V). Awards include the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize (2014), Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2011–2013), and JHU Catalyst Award (2016).
