Chair, Department of Physics
Israel Munson Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Director, Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Yale University
Country of origin: USA
What I do.
I teach physics, often using innovative "peer-learning" techniques, and I do research in astrophysics on supermassive black holes in distant galaxies.
What I find exciting.
Learning something new. Figuring out the answer to a critical question. Nailing down the open issue.
What I wish someone had told me.
To be openly ambitious and to plan ahead. I think, partly because of the dearth of role models, that I just drifted forward, never sure if I was actually going to have a career in physics. Less worrying about that, and more attention to how to get to where I wanted to be - plus a big dose of confidence - would have made for a smoother journey.
