Harvard Professor To Deliver Public Lecture on “The State of the Universe”

Ever wondered how old our Universe is and what its future holds? Well, here is your chance to find out more about the Age and Fate of our Universe. World-renowned astronomer Prof. John Huchra from Harvard University will visit USC on April 4 and 5, 2007 as the Harlow Shapley Lecturer. Prof. Huchra will give a public lecture titled “The State of the Universe” at 6:30 pm on April 4, 2007 at the Law School Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Prof. Huchra is the Robert O. & Holly Thomis Doyle Professor of Cosmology and Senior Advisor to the Provost for Research Policy at Harvard University. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the President-Elect of the American Astronomical Society, and a fellow of the American Physical Society. Prof. Huchra is one of the most prominent astronomers in the world, known especially for his pioneering discoveries in the field of observational cosmology for over 30 years.

In his public lecture, Prof. Huchra will present recent observational progress on the Big Bang model of the Universe from new satellites and telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. He will also discuss the elusive “Dark Matter” and “Dark Energy” that appear to dominate the content of the Universe, giving an overview of the remaining problems in cosmology and the prospects for studying them.

Prof. Huchra's visit is organized by USC's Department of Physics and Astronomy. The Harlow Shapley Lectureship Program is sponsored by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). The Shapley Lectureship consists of two day visits by prominent professional astronomers to college campuses, with the goal of bringing the excitement of modern astronomy and astrophysics to colleges and universities.

In addition to the public lecture, Prof. Huchra will also give the Physics and Astronomy colloquium titled “A New Map of the Nearby Universe” at 3:30 pm on April 5, 2007. For more information, please contact 777-8105.