Nergis Mavalvala is a distinguished scientific leader whose pioneering work has reshaped our understanding of the universe's fundamental nature. Currently serving as Dean of the MIT School of Science and holding the esteemed Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professorship in Astrophysics, she represents one of the most influential voices in contemporary physics research. Born in Lahore and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, she came to the United States in 1986 to pursue her undergraduate studies at Wellesley College where she earned her B.A. in physics and astronomy in 1990. She continued her academic journey at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, completing her Ph.D. in 1997 before advancing her research as a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at the California Institute of Technology from 1997 to 2002. Mavalvala returned to MIT in 2002 as a faculty member, steadily rising through the ranks to become one of the institution's most respected scholars and administrators.
Professor Mavalvala has made groundbreaking contributions to the detection of gravitational waves and quantum measurement science, fundamentally changing how we observe and understand the cosmos. As a longtime member of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory scientific team, she played a pivotal role in the historic 2016 announcement of the first direct detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes, fulfilling the last prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Her research bridges the quantum mechanical world with powerful cosmic phenomena, developing innovative techniques to observe quantum behavior in human-scale systems through laser cooling and trapping of macroscopic objects. Mavalvala's pioneering work on squeezed states of light has significantly enhanced the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors, enabling scientists to peer deeper into the universe's most violent events. This revolutionary approach has opened an entirely new window for observing the universe, with gravitational wave astronomy now complementing traditional electromagnetic observations to provide a more complete understanding of cosmic phenomena.
Beyond her scientific achievements, Mavalvala stands as a powerful role model who has inspired countless young scientists, particularly women and those from underrepresented backgrounds, to pursue careers in physics and astronomy. Her exceptional contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors including the MacArthur Fellowship in 2010, the Gruber Prize in Cosmology as part of the LIGO team in 2016, and election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2017. In 2014, she was honored as the LGBTQ Scientist of the Year by the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals, reflecting her commitment to diversity and inclusion in scientific communities. Mavalvala frequently emphasizes that scientific discovery is not about finding answers but about posing new questions, a philosophy that continues to guide her research and leadership approach. As Dean of the MIT School of Science, she is now positioned to shape the future direction of scientific research across multiple disciplines, ensuring that the next generation of researchers has the tools and opportunities to make their own transformative discoveries.
