17 Facts About David Spergel

David Nathaniel Spergel is an American theoretical astrophysicist and the Emeritus Charles A Young Professor of Astronomy on the Class of 1897 Foundation at Princeton University.

David Spergel is known for his work on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe project.

In 2022, Spergel accepted the chair of NASA's UAP independent study team.

David Spergel was born to a Jewish family in Rochester, New York.

David Spergel's father, Martin Spergel, was a physicist and a professor at York College, City University of New York; he died in 2021.

The junior David Spergel attended John Glenn High School in Huntington, New York.

David Spergel considered his father, who had "a really satisfying career as a college teacher" a role model, especially the aspect of his father's work in mentoring students who were "first in their family" to attend college.

David Spergel then went to the University of Oxford as a visiting scholar in 1983, where he studied with James Binney.

David Spergel obtained his Master of Arts in 1984 and his PhD in 1985, both from Harvard University.

At the invitation of John N Bahcall, Spergel joined the Institute for Advanced Studies after his PhD.

David Spergel left and moved to Princeton University in 1987 as an assistant professor.

David Spergel was promoted to associate professor in 1992 and full professor in 1997.

David Spergel joined the Flatiron Institute in 2016 as the founding director of the Center for Computational Astrophysics.

David Spergel is a 2001 MacArthur Fellow, and was a member of the NASA Advisory Council and chair of the Space Studies Board.

David Spergel was the Keck Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study from 2000 to 2001.

Since 1994, David Spergel is part of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe project consortium.

In 2022, David Spergel was invited to lead NASA's UAP independent study team of sixteen members to provide guidance in better understanding "unidentified anomalous phenomena".