Scott Dodelson New Head of Physics Department
Dodelson Takes Helm at CMU Physics
Renowned astrophysicist Scott Dodelson has been named the Head of the Department of Physics in Carnegie Mellon University’s Mellon College of Science. His appointment starts on August 21, 2017.
Dodelson conducts research at the interface between particle physics and cosmology, examining the phenomena of dark energy, dark matter, inflation and cosmological neutrinos. He is the co-chair of the Science Committee for the Dark Energy Survey (DES), an international collaboration that aims to map hundreds of millions of galaxies, detect thousands of supernovae and find patterns of cosmic structure in an attempt to reveal the nature of Dark Energy. On Aug. 3, the DES released results that measured the structure of the universe to the highest level of precision yet.
Dodelson also works with the South Pole Telescope and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). The South Pole Telescope (SPT) studies the Cosmic Microwave Background to gain a better understanding of inflation, dark energy and neutrinos. The LSST, which is currently being built in Chile, will survey the sky for a decade, creating an enormous data set that will help scientists determine the properties of dark energy and dark matter, as well as the composition and history of our solar system.
Dodelson was attracted to CMU in part by the physics department’s varied areas of strength and its leadership role in the MCWILLIAMS CENTER FOR COSMOLOGY. In addition, physics faculty members play in a number of large, international cosmological surveys, including the LSST and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).
“Within the McWilliams Center, I found kindred spirits in the faculty who are leading scientific projects aimed at understanding the universe, but I was equally attracted to the department’s strong groups in biological physics, condensed matter and nuclear and particle physics,” said Dodelson. “I’m excited to learn about these diverse fields and connect with other departments throughout the university.”
Under Dodelson’s leadership, the physics department will partner with other departments within the Mellon College of Science through a new Theory Center and continue to collaborate with colleagues in statistics, computer science and engineering. Dodelson also hopes to increase the department’s partnerships with other universities and research initiatives worldwide and bring physics to the community through outreach programs.
“I was drawn by the university’s enthusiasm for foundational research,” Dodelson said. “The physics department will strive to bring this excitement to students, alumni and the broader community.”
Dodelson comes to Carnegie Mellon University from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), where he was a distinguished scientist. He also held an appointment at the University of Chicago where he was a professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. While at Fermilab, Dodelson served as head of the Theoretical Astrophysics Group and was a co-founder and interim director of the Center for Particle Astrophysics.
Dodelson earned a joint B.A./B.S. degree in applied physics and a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Columbia University. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University.
Dodelson will assume the position of Department Head from Stephen Garoff who served since 2013.