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Rachel Mandelbaum is a Professor and the Department Head of Astrophysics & Cosmology at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research predominantly focuses on observational cosmology and galaxy studies, utilizing weak gravitational lensing analysis techniques. Mandelbaum's work includes the development of improved data analysis methods and their application to existing datasets, primarily concentrating on the Hyper-SuprimeCam (HSC) survey and upcoming surveys such as the Rubin Observatory's LSST and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. She is an active member of the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration, having served as Spokesperson from 2019 to 2021, and leads the CMU LINCC Frameworks Initiative. Over her career, she has received numerous prestigious awards including the Simons Investigator in Astrophysics (2019) and the AAS Annie Jump Cannon Prize (2011). Mandelbaum completed her Ph.D. at Princeton University in 2006 and has held various academic positions at Carnegie Mellon University since 2011. Her recent publications exemplify her significant contributions to understanding cosmic shear and galaxy intrinsic alignments, reflecting her expertise in advanced astrophysical analysis.
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA
Leading the Department of Physics as Interim Head.
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA
Holding a tenured professorship in the Department of Physics.
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA
Served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics.
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA
Began her academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics.
Princeton University • Princeton, NJ
Conducted research at Princeton University.
Princeton University • Princeton, NJ
Engaged in post-doctoral research focusing on astrophysics.
Institute for Advanced Study • Princeton, NJ
Conducted advanced research in astrophysics.
Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.