Dr. Meg Urry

Biography

Meg Urry is currently the Israel Munson Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Yale University and serves as the Director of the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. She has previously held the position of Chair of the Yale Physics Department from 2007 to 2013 and is a Past President of the American Astronomical Society, having served a four-year term. Dr. Urry received her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and her B.S. in Physics and Mathematics, summa cum laude, from Tufts University. Her scientific research primarily focuses on active galaxies and supermassive black holes, and she has published over 270 refereed research articles. Urry has been recognized as a “Highly Cited Author” by Thomson Reuters and is a Fellow of several prestigious organizations, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academies of Science. She has received an honorary doctorate from Tufts University and several awards from the American Astronomical Society, including the Annie Jump Cannon and George van Biesbroeck prizes. Prior to her appointment at Yale in 2001, she was a senior astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, overseeing Hubble Space Telescope operations. Urry is also known for her advocacy for women in the physical sciences and was awarded the 2010 Women in Space Science Award by the Adler Planetarium.

Research Interests