Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics
The mission of the MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics is to sustain a distinguished, on-campus postdoctoral fellowship program for the Department that identifies, recruits and supports the most talented and promising young physicists at an early stage of their careers. This initiative was made possible by the encouragement and generosity of Mr. A. Neil Pappalardo (EE ’64), an MIT alumnus with a long history of generosity to both the Institute and the Department of Physics.
The program traditionally appoints three new Fellows per academic year for a three-year fellowship term each. Fellows are selected by means of an annual competition for which candidates cannot apply directly, but must be nominated by a faculty member or senior researcher within the international community of physics, astronomy or related fields.
All MIT Pappalardo Fellows in Physics are provided with:
- complete independence in selection and focus of research direction within the MIT Department of Physics throughout their three-year fellowship term;
- active faculty mentoring fostered by weekly luncheons and monthly dinners with faculty and guests during the academic year, which promotes scientific exchange and professional growth for the Fellows;
- a competitive annual stipend with an annual cost-of-living increase, combined with $10,000 per year in discretionary research funds; and
- MIT Medical Affiliate health insurance coverage for Fellows and their dependents.
Program Administration
The Physics Department Head appoints the members of the program’s Executive Committee, which includes a rotating faculty membership responsible for the review, evaluation, and selection of candidates, and one staff Administrator who directly administers the program.
The Pappalardo Fellows themselves are responsible for the selection, pursuit, and development of research within physics, astronomy or related fields, as well as active participation in the scientific and social activities of the program and MIT physics community.
These goals are largely accomplished by on-campus collaboration with a particular physics faculty member and his/her research group, physics colloquia attendance, and regular participation in the Fellows’ weekly luncheons and monthly dinners, which take place at MIT during the academic year.
List of Pappalardo Fellows
Current Fellows
- Trond Andersen, 2022-2025 (as of January 2023)
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics - Kevin Burdge, 2021-2024
Astrophysics - Anna-Christina Eilers, NASA Hubble Fellow: 2019-2022; Pappalardo Fellow: 2022-2024
Astronomy/Astrophysics - Joshua Foster, 2021-2024
Theoretical Nuclear and Particle Physics; Theoretical Astrophysics; Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics - Nicholas Kern, 2020-2023
Astronomy/Astrophysics - Manki Kim, 2021-2024
String Theory; Cosmology - Benjamin Lehmann, 2022-2025
Theoretical Nuclear and Particle Physics - Rohan Naidu, NASA Hubble Fellow: 2022-2025; Pappalardo Fellow: 2025-2027
Astrophysics (Instrumentation/Observation/Experiment) - Aviram Uri, 2021-2024
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Incoming Fellows
2023-2026 Fellows to be posted in January 2023.
Former Fellows
- Mustafa Amin, 2008-2011
Theoretical Astrophysics
Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University - Denis Bandurin, 2018-2021
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
NUS Presidential Young Professor and Assistant Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS) - James Battat, 2008-2011
Experimental Astrophysics; Experimental Nuclear & Particle Physics
Associate Professor of Physics, Wellesley College - Zhen Bi, 2017-2020
Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University - Guy Bunin, 2013-2016
Biophysics & Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics
Assistant Professor, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology - Rachel Carr, 2016-18, 2020-21
Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics
Assistant Professor of Physics, United States Naval Academy - Paul Chesler, 2009-2012
Theoretical Nuclear and Particle Physics
Fellow, Black Hole Initiative, Harvard University - Hugh Churchill, 2012-2015
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Arkansas - Marija Drndic, 2000-2003
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics; Physical Chemistry; Nanoscience
Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics, University of Pennsylvania - Henriette Elvang, 2005-2008
Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics
Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor - Richard Fletcher, 2016-2019
Atomic Physics
Assistant Professor of Physics, MIT - Michael (Misha) Fogler, 2000-2003
Hard Condensed Matter Theory
Professor, University of California, San Diego - Joshua Folk, 2003-2004
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver - Margaret Gardel, 2004-2005
Experimental Biophysics
Professor, University of Chicago - Julieta Gruszko, 2017-2020
Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics
Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill - Jeff Gore, 2007-2010
Biophysics
Associate Professor of Physics, MIT - Ilya Gruzberg, 2001-2002
Hard Condensed Matter Theory
Professor, Ohio State University - Jeongwan Haah, 2013-2016
Quantum Information Theory
Researcher, Station Q, Microsoft Research - Matthew Headrick, 2003-2006
String Theory (quantum field theory, general relativity, geometry)
Professor, Brandeis University - Or Hen, 2015-2017
Nuclear and Particle Physics (Experiment)
Assistant Professor of Physics, MIT - Walter Hofstetter, 2001-2004
Hard Condensed Matter Theory
Professor, Institut für Theoretische Physik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany - David Hsieh, 2009-2012
Experimental Condensed Matter
Professor, Caltech - Nitya Kallivayalil, 2007-2010
Experimental Astrophysics
Associate Professor, University of Virginia - David Kaplan, 2004-2007
Astrophysics (Experiment)
Professor of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - David Kielpinski, 2002-2005
Quantum Computing; Atomic Physics
Senior Staff Data Scientist, CircleCI - Itamar Kimchi, 2015-2018
Hard Condensed Matter Theory
Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology - Kirill Korolev, 2010-2013
Soft Condensed Matter Theory; Biophysics
Associate Professor, Boston University - Yoav Lahini, 2012-2015
Biophysics
Senior Lecturer, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University - Lampros Lamprou, 2017-2020
String Theory
Postdoctoral Fellow, The Simons Foundation
“It From Qubit” Collaboration, University of British Columbia, Department of Physics and Astronomy - Benjamin Lane, 2003-2006
Experimental Astrophysics
Principal Researcher and Team Lead, Systems & Technology Research - Lu Li, 2008-2011
Condensed Matter Experimental Physics
Professor, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - Laura Lopez, 2011-2014
Experimental Astrophysics
Assistant Professor, Ohio State University - Karen Michaeli, 2010-2013
Hard Condensed Matter Theory
Assistant Professor, Weizmann Institute of Science - Michael L. Miller, 2005-2008
Experimental Particle Physics
General Partner, Liquid 2 Ventures, LLC - Bernhard Mistlberger, 2018-2021
Theoretical Nuclear & Particle Physics
Associate Staff Scientist, Theory Group, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory - Jocelyn Monroe, 2006-2009
Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics
Professor of Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London - Duff Neill, 2012-2015
Quantum Field Theory
Senior Staff Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory - J. Michael Niczyporuk, 2002-2004
Theoretical Particle Physics
SVP Global Product Strategy (via Populus Group), VISA - Yusuke Nishida, 2008-2011
Theoretical Nuclear & Particle Physics
Associate Professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology - Carlos Nunez, 2003-2006
Quantum Field Theory and String Theory
Professor, Swansea University - Robert Penna, 2013-2016
Theoretical Astrophysics; Theoretical Nuclear and Particle Physics
Member, School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study - Hoi Chun “Adrian” Po, 2018-2021
Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
Assistant Professor, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Silviu Pufu, 2011-2014
String Theory
Associate Professor of Physics, Princeton University - Mallika Randeria, 2019-2022
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
MIT Lincoln Laboratory - Katherine Rawlins, 2003-2005
Gravitational-wave Astronomy
Professor, University of Alaska-Anchorage - Paola Rebusco, 2007-2010
Plasma Astrophysics
Physics Lecturer & Academic Officer, MIT Experimental Study Group - Carl Rodriguez, 2016-2019
Theoretical Astrophysics
Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University - Benjamin Safdi, 2014-2017
Theoretical High Energy Physics
Faculty, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - Katelin Schutz, 2019-2022; 2023-2025
Theoretical Nuclear & Particle Physics/Theoretical Astrophysics
Assistant Professor of Physics, McGill University - Gabriella Sciolla, 2002-2003
Experimental High Energy Physics
Professor of Physics, Brandeis University - Robert Simcoe, 2003-2006
Experimental Astrophysics
Francis L. Friedman Professor of Physics
Director, MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research - Inti Sodemann Villadiego, 2014-2017
Condensed Matter (Theory: Hard)
Research Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems - Marin Soljačić, 2000-2003
Condensed Matter (Experiment); Condensed Matter (Theory: Hard)
Professor of Physics, MIT - Joshua Spitz, 2011-2014
Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics
Norman M. Leff Assistant Professor, University of Michigan, Ann-Arbor - Meng Su, 2012-2015
Theoretical Astrophysics
Associate Professor, University of Hong Kong - Jacob M. Taylor, 2006-2009
Hard Condensed Matter Theory
Adjunct Professor, Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland - David Tong, 2001-2004
Quantum Field Theory, String Theory, Solitons, Cosmology
Professor of Theoretical Physics and Fellow of Trinity College, University of Cambridge, UK - Arpita Upadhyaya, 2002-2005
Biophysics
Professor of Physics, University of Maryland - Simona Vegetti, 2010-2013
Theoretical Astrophysics
Scientific Staff, Computational Structure Formation, Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik - Steven Villanueva, 2018-2021
Theoretical Astrophysics
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow, Goddard Space Flight Center - Inna Vishik, 2013-2016
Condensed Matter Experiment
Assistant Professor, University of California, Davis - Ashvin Vishwanath, 2001-2004
Hard Condensed Matter Theory
Professor of Physics, Harvard University - Michael Wagman, 2017-2020
Nuclear & Particle Theory
Staff Scientist, Theoretical Physics Department, Fermilab - Fa Wang, 2009-2012
Hard Condensed Matter Theory
Associate Professor, Peking University - Haruki Watanabe, 2015-2016
Hard Condensed Matter Theory; Theoretical Nuclear and Particle Physics
Associate Professor, University of Tokyo, Japan - Olivia White, 2005-2008
Soft Condensed Matter Theory
Partner, McKinsey & Company - Taritree Wongjirad, 2014-2017
Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics
Assistant Professor, Tufts University - Sanfeng Wu, 2016-2019
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Assistant Professor, Princeton University - Andrea Young, 2011-2014
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Assistant Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara
Executive Committee
2022-2023 Academic Year
Deepto Chakrabarty
Professor of Physics
Department Head, Ex Officio
Ronald Garcia Ruiz
Assistant Professor of Physics
Experimental Nuclear Physics
Nuh Gedik
Professor of Physics
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Jeff Gore, Chair
Professor of Physics
Biophysics; Soft Condensed Matter Theory
Daniel Harlow
Associate Professor of Physics
High Energy and Particle Theory; Quantum Gravity and Field Theory
Scott Hughes
Professor of Physics; Division Head for Astrophysics
Astrophysics Theory
Erin Kara
Assistant Professor of Physics
Astrophysics Observation, Instrumentation and Experiment; Astrophysics Theory
Maxim Metlitski
Assistant Professor of Physics
Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
Phiala Shanahan
Class of 1957 Career Development Associate Professor of Physics
Theoretical Particle and Nuclear Physics
Carol Breen
Communications and Pappalardo Fellowships Program Administrator