Institute For Advanced Study Appoints Goldreich To Faculty

The Institute for Advanced Study has announced the appointment of astrophysicist Peter Goldreich as professor in its School of Natural Sciences. Goldreich’s appointment is for five years, effective January 1, 2004.

Currently visiting professor in the School of Natural Sciences, Goldreich is also DuBridge Professor of Astrophysics and Planetary Physics, Emeritus, at the California Institute of Technology.

His research interests are in theoretical astrophysics and planetary physics. Among his many honors and awards are the 1992 Kuiper Prize of the Division for Planetary Science of the American Astronomical Society, and the 1985 Chapman Medal and 1993 Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. Named California Scientist of the Year in 1981, Goldreich is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. He received the National Medal of Science in 1995, and was cited for “Profound and lasting contributions to planetary sciences and astrophysics, providing fundamental theoretical insights for understanding the rotation of planets, the dynamics of planetary rings, pulsars, astrophysical masers, the spiral arms of galaxies, and the oscillations of the sun.”

“We are pleased to welcome to the Institute for Advanced Study a scientist who has made significant contributions in so many areas of astrophysical and planetary sciences,” comments Phillip A. Griffiths, director of the Institute. “Professor Goldreich is known, not only for his scientific achievements, but also for his interest in encouraging younger researchers. His interaction with the many visiting postdoctoral scholars in the School of Natural Sciences, as well as with his senior colleagues, will greatly enhance the intellectual life of the Institute.”

Goldreich earned his B.S. in engineering physics and Ph.D. in physics from Cornell University, after which he pursued a year’s postdoctoral study in astrophysics at Cambridge University. He was assistant professor of astronomy and geophysics at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1964 to 1966 and then associate professor of Planetary Science and Astronomy at CalTech from 1966 to1969. Appointed professor in 1969, he became DuBridge Professor in 1981. He was named professor emeritus in 2002.

The Institute for Advanced Study is a private, independent center founded in 1930 to support advanced scholarship and fundamental research across a wide range of disciplines. It comprises four Schools: Historical Studies, Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Social Science, each with a small permanent faculty of distinguished scholars. In addition, the Institute hosts approximately 180 members each year, from postdoctoral students to senior scholars, who come from more than a hundred institutions worldwide for periods ranging from six months to several years.

More information about the Institute is available at www.ias.edu.