Nergis Mavalvala, Marble Professor of Astrophysics at MIT and a 2010 recipient of a MacArthur “genius” award, is a physicist whose research focuses on the detection of gravitational waves and quantum measurement science. She is a longtime member of the scientific team that announced in 2016 the first direct detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Updated July 2017
Nergis Mavalvala
Professor of Astrophysics, MIT
Born in: Pakistan
More 2017 Great Immigrants
Sir J. Fraser StoddartBoard of Trustees Professor of Chemistry, Northwestern University
Viet Thanh NguyenPulitzer Prize-winning novelist
Do Won ChangCofounder and CEO, Forever 21
Andrew SchallyProfessor of Pathology, University of Miami
Get the Carnegie Reporter and our best articles delivered to your inbox.