Professor Ghez is one of the world’s leading observational astrophysicists and Director of UCLA’s Galactic Center Group. In 2020, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for her discovery of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Her pioneering work tracking stellar orbits in the Galactic Center has transformed our understanding of black holes and gravity in extreme environments.
She earned her BS from MIT and her PhD from Caltech. Among her many honors is the Crafoord Prize in Astronomy from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, for which she was the first woman to receive the award in any field. She is also deeply committed to public engagement and inspiring young women to pursue careers in science.
Professor Ghez will present two lectures:
Colloquium — Wednesday, March 25
Our Galactic Center: A Unique Laboratory for the Physics & Astrophysics of Black Holes
4:30 pm, Wilson 214
Refreshments will be served at 3:45 pm
Public Lecture — Thursday, March 26
From the Possibility to the Certainty of a Supermassive Black Hole
7:00 pm, Whitaker 100
