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Alex Filippenko

Person

An astrophysicist at UC Berkeley and a leading science communicator who was involved in the discovery of the universe's acceleration.


First Mentioned

9/30/2025, 4:41:28 AM

Last Updated

9/30/2025, 4:43:01 AM

Research Retrieved

9/30/2025, 4:43:00 AM

Summary

Alexei Vladimir "Alex" Filippenko is a prominent American astrophysicist and a distinguished professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. Born on July 25, 1958, he holds a B.A. in physics from UC Santa Barbara and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Caltech. Filippenko is renowned for his extensive research in supernovae, active galaxies, black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and the expansion of the universe, notably being a member of both teams that co-discovered the accelerating expansion of the Universe, a finding that led to the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. Beyond his groundbreaking research, he is a dedicated science communicator, having authored popular video courses like "Understanding the Universe" and frequently appearing in documentaries. He recently presented on the revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope at the All-In Summit, where he also engaged in discussions on the Big Bang Theory, black holes, and the Fermi Paradox, while advocating for pure research funding and highlighting concerns about cuts to scientific grants.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Born

    1958-07-25

  • Employer

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Full Name

    Alexei Vladimir "Alex" Filippenko

  • Occupation

    Astrophysicist, Professor of Astronomy

  • High School

    Dos Pueblos High School, Goleta, California

  • Nationality

    American

  • Authored Books

    The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium

  • Graduate Degree

    Ph.D. in Astronomy

  • Current Position

    Richard & Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences, Senior Miller Fellow

  • Awards and Honors

    Hertz Foundation Fellow, Miller Fellow, Miller Research Professor, Gruber Cosmology Prize (2007), Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2015), National Academy of Sciences (elected 2009), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (elected), U.S. National Professor of the Year (2006), Emmons Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (2010), Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization (2004), Guggenheim Fellowship

  • Research Interests

    Supernovae, Active Galaxies, Black Holes, Gamma-Ray Bursts, Expansion of the Universe, Dark Energy, Exoplanets

  • Research Wavelengths

    Optical, Ultraviolet, Near-infrared

  • Teaching Recognition

    Won most coveted teaching awards at Berkeley, voted 'Best Professor' on campus nine times, U.S. National Professor of the Year 2006

  • Undergraduate Degree

    Bachelor of Arts in Physics

  • Alma Mater (Graduate)

    California Institute of Technology

  • Authored Video Courses

    Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, Black Holes Explained, Skywatching: Seeing and Understanding Cosmic Wonders

  • Number of Research Papers

    Over 1120

  • Alma Mater (Undergraduate)

    University of California, Santa Barbara

Timeline
  • Born Alexei Vladimir Filippenko. (Source: wikipedia)

    1958-07-25

  • Received a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. (Source: wikipedia)

    1979

  • Received a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the California Institute of Technology, where he was a Hertz Foundation Fellow. (Source: wikipedia)

    1984

  • Began a postdoctoral Miller Fellowship at UC Berkeley. (Source: wikipedia)

    1984

  • Appointed to Berkeley's faculty. (Source: wikipedia)

    1986

  • Served as a Miller Research Professor (Spring). (Source: wikipedia)

    1996

  • Co-discovered the accelerating expansion of the Universe as a member of both the Supernova Cosmology Project and the High-z Supernova Search Team. This discovery was voted the top science breakthrough of 1998 by Science magazine. (Source: web_search_results)

    1998

  • Received the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. (Source: web_search_results)

    2004

  • Served as a Miller Research Professor (Spring). (Source: wikipedia)

    2005

  • Named the U.S. National Professor of the Year. (Source: web_search_results)

    2006

  • Received a share of the Gruber Cosmology Prize. (Source: web_search_results)

    2007

  • Elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. (Source: web_search_results)

    2009

  • Won the Emmons Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for excellence in college astronomy teaching. (Source: web_search_results)

    2010

  • The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to the leaders of the two project teams (Supernova Cosmology Project and High-z Supernova Search Team) for the discovery of the accelerating universe, in which Filippenko played a key role. (Source: web_search_results)

    2011

  • Received a share of the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. (Source: web_search_results)

    2015

  • Delivered a presentation on the James Webb Space Telescope at the All-In Summit. (Source: related_documents)

    Undated

  • Participated in a Q&A session at the All-In Summit, discussing the Big Bang Theory, black holes, the Fermi Paradox, and the Great Filter. (Source: related_documents)

    Undated

  • Argued for funding pure research and warned about recent cuts to scientific funding, specifically NIH Grants, at the All-In Summit. (Source: related_documents)

    Undated

  • Played an instrumental role in saving the historic Lick Observatory in San Jose from closure. (Source: web_search_results)

    Undated

Alex Filippenko

Alexei Vladimir "Alex" Filippenko (; born July 25, 1958) is an American astrophysicist and professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. Filippenko graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. He received a Bachelor of Arts in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1979 and a Ph.D. in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology in 1984, where he was a Hertz Foundation Fellow. He was a postdoctoral Miller Fellow at Berkeley from 1984 to 1986 and was appointed to Berkeley's faculty in 1986. In 1996 and 2005, he was a Miller Research Professor, and he is currently a Senior Miller Fellow. His research focuses on supernovae and active galaxies at optical, ultraviolet, and near-infrared wavelengths, as well as on black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and the expansion of the Universe.

Web Search Results
  • Alex Filippenko

    Alexei Vladimir "Alex" Filippenko (/fɪlɪˈpɛnkoʊ/; born July 25, 1958) is an American astrophysicist and professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. Filippenko graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. He received a Bachelor of Arts in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1979 and a Ph.D. in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology in 1984, where he was a Hertz Foundation Fellow. He was a postdoctoral Miller Fellow at [...] Filippenko is the author of and teacher in an eight-volume teaching series on DVD called Understanding the Universe. Organized into three major sections in ten smaller units, this series of 96 half-hour lectures covers the material of an undergraduate survey course for An Introduction to Astronomy (the series' subtitle). His other videos courses are Black Holes Explained and Skywatching: Seeing and Understanding Cosmic Wonders. [...] ## Research [edit] Filippenko is the only person who was a member of both the Supernova Cosmology Project and the High-z Supernova Search Team, which used observations of extragalactic Type Ia supernovae to discover the accelerating universe and its implied existence of dark energy. The discovery was voted the top science breakthrough of 1998 by Science "Science (magazine)") magazine and resulted in the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics being awarded to the leaders of the two project teams.

  • Alex Filippenko

    Alex Filippenko is a Professor of Astronomy, and the Richard & Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences, at the University of California, Berkeley. His teaching of an astronomy survey course is very popular on campus; he has won the most coveted teaching awards at Berkeley and has nine times been voted “Best Professor” on campus. In 2006, he was named the U.S. National Professor of the Year. In 2010, he won the Emmons Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for [...] Filippenko has produced five video courses on college-level astronomy through The Great Courses. The recipient of the 2004 Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization, he lectures widely, and he has appeared frequently on science newscasts and television documentaries, especially The Universe series on The History Channel and H2 (about 40 episodes spanning 6 seasons). [...] excellence in college astronomy teaching. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his doctorate from the California Institute of Technology.

  • Alexei V. Filippenko - UC Berkeley Astronomy

    Alex Filippenko is a Richard & Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley. His accomplishments, documented in more than 1120 research papers, have been recognized by several major prizes, including a share of both the Gruber Cosmology Prize (2007) and the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2015). One of the world’s most highly cited astronomers, he is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (2009) and the American Academy of Arts and [...] Alex Filippenko and his collaborators are determining the nature of the progenitor stars and the explosion mechanisms of different types of supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. He is also using supernovae as cosmological distance indicators, and he was a member of both teams that discovered (in 1998) the accelerating expansion of the Universe, probably driven by “dark energy” — a discovery that was honored with the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics to the teams’ leaders. He also works on quantifying the [...] Publications:View Alex Filippenko’s Full Publications List&q=author%3A(%22Filippenko%2CA%22)%20AND%20pubdate%3A%5B1980-01%20TO%202019-12%5D&sort=citation_count%20desc%2C%20bibcode%20desc&unprocessed_parameter=adsobj_query&unprocessed_parameter=qform&p_=0) Books Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy Black Holes Explained Skywatching: Seeing and Understanding Cosmic Wonders The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium PDF icon alex-filippenko-cv.pdf ## Contact ## About

  • Igniting the Cosmos: Professor Alex Filippenko

    Professor Alex Filippenko, an inspiring hero in the field of astrophysics and astronomy, has left an indelible impact on the scientific community and the lives of countless students. Through his inclusive education approach, groundbreaking research, and advocacy for preserving astronomical landmarks, he has transformed the study of the cosmos into a captivating and magical journey. Professor Filippenko's unwavering dedication, mentorship, and infectious enthusiasm continue to inspire and shape [...] ## Igniting the Cosmos: Professor Alex Filippenko Within the realm of astrophysics and astronomy, there exists an extraordinary professor at UC Berkeley whose passion and dedication have seemingly no bounds. Professor Alex Filippenko, renowned for his groundbreaking research in cosmology and unwavering commitment to education, has transformed the study of the cosmos into a truly magical experience. He is a true hero in the world of astronomy. [...] Beyond his research and teaching, Professor Filippenko has been an instrumental figure in saving the historic Lick Observatory in San Jose from closure. When the National Science Foundation downgraded the observatory to a "small" facility, he passionately advocated and fundraised for its preservation, highlighting its scientific and educational value. His efforts ensured that future generations of astronomers would have access to this essential observatory.

  • CXC Biographies :: Dr. Alex Filippenko

    B.A. in Physics (1979) from UC Santa Barbara, and his Ph.D. in Astronomy (1984) from Caltech, subsequently becoming a Miller Fellow at UC Berkeley. In 1986 he joined the faculty at UC Berkeley, where he has remained through the present time. An observational astronomer who makes frequent use of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck 10-meter telescopes, his primary areas of research are exploding stars, active galaxies, black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and the expansion of the Universe; he has [...] President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and has been a Councilor of the American Astronomical Society. A dedicated and enthusiastic instructor, he has won the top teaching awards at UC Berkeley; also, in 1995, 2001, and 2003 he was voted the "Best Professor" on campus in informal student polls. He has appeared in several TV documentaries, most recently Nova's "Runaway Universe." In 1998 and 2003 he produced 40-lecture and 16-lecture (respectively) video courses on introductory [...] also spearheaded efforts to develop robotic telescopes. His research accomplishments, documented in over 430 published articles, have been recognized by several major awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, and he is one of the world's most highly cited astronomers. He is a prominent member of the High-Redshift Supernova Search Team, whose co-discovery of the acceleration of the Universe was voted the top scientific breakthrough of 1998 by the editors of Science magazine. Filippenko is Past

Alexei Vladimir "Alex" Filippenko (/fɪlɪˈpɛnkoʊ/; born July 25, 1958) is an American astrophysicist and professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. Filippenko graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. He received a Bachelor of Arts in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1979 and a Ph.D. in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology in 1984, where he was a Hertz Foundation Fellow. He was a postdoctoral Miller Fellow at UC Berkeley and was subsequently appointed to a faculty position at the same institution. He was later named a Miller Research Professor for Spring 1996 and Spring 2005, and he is now a Senior Miller Fellow. His research focuses on supernovae and active galaxies at optical, ultraviolet, and near-infrared wavelengths, as well as on black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and the expansion of the Universe.

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