Eve Charis Ostriker

Eve Ostriker is the Lyman Spitzer, Jr., Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at Princeton University. Prior to joining the Princeton faculty, she was Professor of Astronomy at the University of Maryland from 1996-2012, following a prize postdoctoral fellowship at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She received her bachelor's degree from Harvard University in Physics in 1987, and her doctoral degree from the University of California, Berkeley in Physics in 1993. Ostriker's research is in the area of theoretical and computational astrophysics, with main scientific interests in the process of star formation; the dynamics, thermodynamics, and chemistry of the interstellar medium and circumgalactic medium; the structure and evolution of spiral galaxies; and the physics of accretion and outflows. She is also active in the development of numerical methods and tools for computational fluid dynamics. Her work focuses on understanding physical processes involving interstellar gas dynamics, including diverse and fascinating interactions with magnetic fields, radiation, cosmic rays, and gravity. With a focus on the role of turbulence and on the effects of energy returned by massive stars to their surroundings, Ostriker is particularly known for her contributions to understanding of the properties of the interstellar medium and the regulation of star formation, and their connection to galactic structure and cosmic evolution.