David Spergel joined the Flatiron Institute in 2016 as founding director of the Center for Computational Astrophysics. In 2021 He became president of the Simons Foundation. His research interests range from the search for planets around nearby stars to the shape of the universe.

Using microwave background observations from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, Davis has measured the age, shape and composition of the universe. Their observations have played a significant role in establishing the standard model of cosmology. He is one of the leaders of the Simons Observatory, which will include a planned millimeter-wave telescope that will allow us to take the next step in studying the microwave sky and probing the history of the universe.

David served as  co-chair of the  Roman Space Telescope, formerly known as the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) science team. Roman will study the nature of dark energy, complete the demographic survey of extrasolar planets, characterize the atmospheres of nearby planets and survey the universe with more than 100 times the field of view of the Hubble Space Telescope. He played a significant role in designing the coronagraph and in shaping the overall mission.

Since completing my Ph.D. work, David has been interested in using laboratory experiments and astronomical observations to probe the nature of dark matter and look for new physics. Recently, he has been active in the exploration of data from the Gaia satellite and observations made by Subaru’s Hyper Suprime-Cam.

After 30 years at Princeton, David has now retired and is full-time at the Simons Foundation. He is now the Charles Young Professor of Astronomy Emeritus on the Class of 1897 Foundation at Princeton University. He was department chair for nearly a decade. During his tenure as chair, the department was consistently ranked No. 1 by both the National Research Council and U.S. News and World Report. He is an associate faculty member in both the department of physics and the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton. He has been the primary mentor for over 32 graduate students, 35 postdoctoral fellows and 60 undergraduates, and he continues to advise and mentor graduate students at Princeton.

Honors and Awards

David has received a number of prizes and awards for his work including:

• Member, American Philosophical Society (2022)

• NASA Exceptional Service Medal (2nd award) (2021)

• American Astronomical Society Legacy Fellow (2020)

• Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2018)

• NASA Exceptional Service Medal (2017)

• Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics (2015)

• One of Nature’s “Ten People Who Mattered This Year” (2014)

• American Astronomical Society Kavli Lectureship (2014)

• President’s Distinguished Teaching Award (2013)

• Fellow, American Physical Society (2013)

• One of Time magazine’s “25 Most Influential People in Space” (2013)

• Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2012)

• Gruber Prize (as part of WMAP team) (2012)

• Shaw Prize in Astronomy (2010)

• Citation Laureate (2010)

• Member, National Academy of Sciences (2007)

• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship (2001)

• Named “One of America’s Top Scientists” by Time magazine (2001)

• American Astronomical Society Helen B. Warner Prize (1994)

• National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award (1988)

• Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (1988)