Rachel Mandelbaum facts for kids

Rachel Mandelbaum is a smart scientist who studies space. She is a professor of astrophysics at Carnegie Mellon University. Astrophysics is the study of how stars, planets, and galaxies work.

Professor Mandelbaum focuses on big questions about the universe. She studies cosmology, which is about how the universe began and how it changes. She also looks at how galaxies grow and change over time. A big part of her work involves understanding dark matter and dark energy. These are mysterious things that make up most of the universe but we can't see them directly.

She often uses something called gravitational lensing in her research. This is when the gravity from huge objects, like galaxies, bends light from things behind them. It's like a giant magnifying glass in space. She has helped make this method much better for studying the universe.

Education and Early Career

Rachel Mandelbaum went to Princeton University. She earned her first degree, an A.B. in physics, in 2000. She received high honors for her work.

Later, she continued her studies at Princeton. She earned her Ph.D. in physics in 2006. After that, she became a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. She is now a tenured associate professor there. This means she has a permanent teaching position.

Exploring the Universe

Professor Mandelbaum's main research is about cosmology. She uses a special method called weak gravitational lensing. This helps her study how the universe is structured and how it has changed.

She has written many scientific papers. Since 2011, she has contributed to over 100 published papers. These papers share her discoveries with other scientists. From 2019 to July 1, 2021, she was the leader for a big science group. This group was called the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration. They worked on understanding dark energy using a new telescope.

Awards and Recognition

Rachel Mandelbaum has received several important awards for her work. In 2011, she won the Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy. This award is given by the American Astronomical Society to talented women in astronomy.

In 2012, she received the Department of Energy Early Career Award. The next year, in 2013, she was given the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship. These awards help young scientists continue their important research. In 2019, the Simons Foundation named her a Simons Investigator. This is a special honor for leading scientists.

Personal Life

Rachel Mandelbaum is an Orthodox Jew. She is open about her faith.

External Links

• Her resume and list of publications

See also

In Spanish: Rachel Mandelbaum para niños