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College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Physics and Astronomy


Stony Brook University to Host First NASA Hubble Fellow

Stony Brook University has been chosen as the host of a NASA Hubble Fellow: Konstantinos Kritos, a PhD student from Johns Hopkins University. The fellowship will support Kritos’ research program "Unveiling the mystery of massive black hole seeds through gravitational and electromagnetic waves."  Stony Brook University Professor Rosalba Perna will serve as Kritos’ faculty contact. Kritos is the first NHFP fellow to be hosted by Stony Brook University.

Photo of Konstantinos Kritos

Kritos is a theoretical and computational astrophysicist whose research focuses on the formation and evolution of black holes and their observable signatures through gravitational waves. Overall, his research aims to connect astrophysical theory with gravitational-wave data to better understand black hole populations and cosmic structure formation.

Image of Black Hole

You can read about this in more detail on SBU News and also on Innovate LI.

Appointment of Kuunal Mahtani as Deputy Web Czar

Kuunal Mahtani, a Ph.D. student in the Neutrino and Nucleon decay (NN) Group has been appointed Deputy Web Czar for the department.

Kuunal Mahtani

Kuunal Mahtani

Kuunal will work with the current Web Czar Anthony Mannino to maintain the website until Anthony graduates this summer.  After that, Kuunal will assume the role of Department Web Czar.

Anthony Mannino

Anthony Mannino

Welcome New Staff Member Luis Rodriguez

Photo of Luis Rodriguez

  • Started at Stony Brook in the beginning of January 2026 as an Instructional Laboratory Technician, joining Frank Chisena and Rich Lefferts.

  • Graduated from CUNY in 2023 with a B.S. in Physics (Honors)

  • Has been working in fields related to college education since 2019

  • Started as a Math/Physics Tutor, then became a Supplemental Instructor for Physics (Ocean County College), and most recently served as Laboratory Coordinator for Adelphi University’s Physics Department

Department News Archive

Physics and Astronomy in the News

Historic $12 Million Gift Propels Yang Institute into the Future

The C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics (YITP) has received a historic $12 million endowment gift from alumnus Jack Yongfeng Zhang, PhD ’87, and his wife, Mary Zi-Ping Luo, PhD. This commitment ensures the Institute's long-term strength and distinction.Learn More(Historic $12 Million Gift Propels Yang Institute into the Future)

Prof. Simon Birrer Receives Prestigious DOE Early Career Award

Prof. Simon Birrer has won a prestigious DOE Early Career Award! His winning proposal was to study the expansion history of the Universe with the newly commissioned NSF-DoE Vera C. Rubin Observatory.Learn More(Prof. Simon Birrer Receives Prestigious DOE Early Career Award)

2025 Season's Greetings

We collectively had an exceptionally productive year in 2025. We got together in person, shared our lives, and created new stories and memorable moments. We wish you all happy and restful holidays, and wish you the very best in 2026!

Prof. George Sterman Receives Honorary Doctorate from ETH Zurich

Prof. George Sterman, the Director of YITP, was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by ETH Zurich. The award citation refers to Prof. Sterman's development of concepts that "enable precise tests of the fundamental laws of nature in particle physics".Learn More(Prof. George Sterman Receives Honorary Doctorate from ETH Zurich)

Prof. Ken Dill to Receive Biophysical Society’s 2026 Founder’s Award

The Biophysical Society has announced that Professor Ken A. Dill will receive the Society’s 2026 Founders Award for his work on the protein folding problem and the development of statistical mechanical theories and foundational principles in biophysics.Learn More(Prof. Ken Dill to Receive Biophysical Society’s 2026 Founder’s Award)

SBU Researchers Part of “Rival” Experiments Publish First Joint Analysis

Researchers from the Department of Physics and Astronomy are part of an international team of physicists conducting the T2K experiment and have provided joint analysis with another team of physicists conducting a different NOvA experiment.Learn More(SBU Researchers Part of “Rival” Experiments Publish First Joint Analysis)

Physics and Astronomy in the News Archive