Distinguished Lecture: "Detection of Gravitational Waves: A Hundred Year Journey", Nergis Mavalvala
Nergis Mavalvala
Associate Head of the Department of Physics
Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics
Dr. Mavalvala is part of the team that made the first direct observation of gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detector. This breakthrough, announced in early 2016, ushers in a new era in astrophysics, confirming Einstein’s general theory of relativity and paving the way for new discoveries. Mavalvala has worked on developing technologies for interferometric gravitational wave detectors since she was a graduate student at MIT in the 1990s. Mavalvala earned a BA in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in physics from MIT. In 2010, she was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.