Keivan Stassun
Biography
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Astronomy Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Wisconsin – Madison B.A., Physics and Astronomy, University of California at Berkeley |
Keivan Stassun holds the Stevenson chair in Physics & Astronomy at Vanderbilt University, where he also serves as Director of the Frist Center for Autism & Innovation.
His research on stars and exoplanets has appeared in more than 500 peer-reviewed journal articles, with an emphasis on developing new data-driven methods for making precise measurements of the fundamental physical properties of stars and planets. Having trained more than 50 PhD students and postdoctoral scholars from diverse backgrounds, Stassun is a leader and advocate for broadening participation in STEM, especially of underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities.
He received an NSF CAREER award, a Cottrell Scholar award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor Award, and a Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship from the National Academies. Stassun is also an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Astronomical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
He has served on NSF’s Committee for Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering, chaired the American Astronomical Society’s Committee on Minorities, is a recipient of the American Physical Society’s Nicholson Medal for Human Outreach, has been named Mentor of the Year by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been honored with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.
He is a member of the National Science Board’s class of 2022 - 2028.