5 February 2021

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

"The universe is always more wonderfully queer than we think it is."

Position/Title: Assistant Professor of Physics & Core Faculty Member in Women’s Studies

Affiliation: University of New Hampshire

AAS Positions:

  • Founding member of the AAS Committee for Sexual-Orientation & Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA); served on the executive committee (2011–2016)

Areas of Scientific Interest: My primary areas of focus are early universe cosmology, dark matter models, and how dark matter impacts structure formation. My work lives at the intersection of particle physics and astrophysics, and while I am primarily a theoretical researcher, I maintain strong ties to astronomy. I am a topical convener for Dark Matter: Cosmic Probes in the Snowmass 2021 process, and I am lead axion wrangler for the NASA STROBE-X Probe Concept Study. Using ideas from both physics and astronomy, I respond to deep questions about how everything in the universe got to be the way it is. I also do research on feminist science studies, and I believe we all have the right to know the universe.

Accomplishments:

  • Winner of the 2021 APS Edward A. Bouchet Award
  • Featured in the 2020 Nature 10
  • First Black woman to hold a faculty position in either theoretical cosmology or particle theory
  • Author, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred (Bold Type Books, 2021)