Indian-American astronomer Shrinivas R. Kulkarni awarded prestigious 2024 Shaw Prize in Astronomy
Indian-American astronomer Shrinivas R. Kulkarni has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Shaw Prize in Astronomy for his groundbreaking discoveries concerning rapidly changing astronomical phenomena. Dr. Kulkarni, who is the George Ellery Hale Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), has been recognized for his significant contributions to time-domain astronomy.
Time-domain astronomy focuses on studying objects in the universe that vary in brightness or other characteristics over short timescales. Dr. Kulkarni’s research has shed light on millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and other transient astronomical objects.
The Shaw Prize Foundation, based in Hong Kong, awards three annual prizes of $1.2 million each in the fields of Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences. This year, Dr. Kulkarni shares the honor with Swee Lay Thein and Stuart Orkin (Life Science and Medicine) and Peter Sarnak (Mathematical Sciences), all from the United States.
Dr. Kulkarni’s leadership in time-domain astronomy is exemplified by his conception and construction of the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) and its successor Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), which have revolutionized our understanding of the dynamic nature of the optical sky.
Having earned his Master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1978 and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1983, Dr. Kulkarni’s career has been marked by distinction. He served as Director of Caltech Optical Observatories from 2006 to 2018.
The Shaw Prize ceremony will be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, in Hong Kong, marking the 21st year the prizes have been awarded. The Shaw Foundation’s dedication to promoting excellence in scientific and technological research is evident through these prestigious awards.