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Paul Kalas studied Astronomy at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where he earned his Ph.D. under the guidance of astronomer David Jewitt from the University of Hawaii. Since joining UC Berkeley in 2000, Kalas has worked as a postdoctoral scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. In recognition of his contributions, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2009 and received the AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize for outstanding research published in the journal Science. Kalas is known for founding the Spirit Lyot conference series and developing an innovative graduate course on the ethics of science. His current research focuses on imaging planetary systems around stars using leading astronomical facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, contributing to significant discoveries such as dusty debris disks around nearby stars like Fomalhaut. He is also a key member of the science team for the Gemini Planet Imager, which directly images extrasolar planets and debris disks using advanced adaptive optics technology. His work incorporates high contrast imaging and mid-infrared to sub-millimeter imaging techniques.
University of California, Berkeley • Berkeley, CA
Teaches courses in Astronomy and engages in research activities.
The Mathematics Subject GRE is required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. General GRE is optional.