The Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) invites you to an upcoming lecture on gravitational wave astrophysics.
September 28, 2026
Time:
3:00 pm
LCE Auditorium, SBASSE Basement, LUMS
The session will explore how the first ever detections of gravitational waves from colliding black holes and neutron stars have launched a new era of gravitational wave astrophysics. It will describe the science, technology, and human story behind these discoveries that provide a completely new window into some of the most violent and warped events in the Universe.
About the Speaker:
Nergis Mavalvala, PhD ’97, is the Dean of the MIT School of Science and the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics. Her research focuses on the detection of gravitational waves from violent events in the cosmos that warp and ripple the fabric of space-time. She is part of the team that, in early 2016, announced the first direct detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, ushering in a new era in astrophysics. Mavalvala has also conducted experiments in the optical trapping and cooling of mirrors to enable observation of quantum phenomena in macroscopic objects. She is the recipient of a 2010 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Mavalvala earned a BA in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College and a PhD in physics from MIT.
For registration, please click here.
