Stony Brook University Professor Neelima Sehgal Named as 2025 APS Fellow

STONY BROOK, NY - October 20, 2025 - The State University of New York at Stony Brook University Professor of Physics and Astronomy Neelima Sehgal in Stony Brook's College of Arts and Sciences was recently named a 2025 American Physical Society (APS) Fellow.

The APS Fellowship recognizes members for their outstanding efforts to advance physics. Members are inducted based on their contributions to original research and publication, significant innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology, remarkable advancements in the teaching of physics, and exemplary service and participation in APS activities.

"I am deeply grateful for this recognition from my APS colleagues, and delighted to join the distinguished group of Stony Brook Physics and Astronomy faculty who are APS fellows," said Professor Sehgal.

Neelima Sehgal is a theoretical and observational cosmologist. Her research involves understanding the fundamental physics of the Universe, including dark matter, dark energy, the origin of the Universe, and the Universe's particle inventory. Her main tool to do this is to use observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which is the oldest light in the Universe coming to us from almost 14 billion years ago. For two decades, she analyzed CMB data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, which was located in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Sehgal is now involved with the Simons Observatory, which will take data for another decade. Neelima is the Principal Investigator of the CMB-HD experiment, a proposed next-generation, high-resolution CMB observatory. CMB-HD is designed to map the dark matter in the Universe on small scales, probe the origin of the Universe, and definitively determine the Universe's thermal particle content.

My sincere congratulations to Professor Neelima Sehgal on this truly significant achievement," said David Wrobel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "Her pioneering work on a cosmic microwave background observatory is pivotal in expanding our understanding of the fundamental physics of the Universe. We are fortunate and proud to have such an exceptional theoretical and observational cosmologist working to advance our university and the frontiers of science."

Neelima Sehgal obtained her B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Yale University, and her PhD in Physics and Astronomy from Rutgers University. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and Princeton University, before joining Stony Brook University in 2012. She is currently Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook, and lives in East Setauket, New York.

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About the State University of New York at Stony Brook

The State University of New York at Stony Brook is New York's flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 26,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 225,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world's biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #58 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook's membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university's distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal and Breakthrough Prizes in Mathematics and Physics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy - one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/ and X@stonybrooku.