“I hope to inspire other young women.” Who is Andrea Ghez, Nobel Prize in Physics



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Frederick M. Brown via Getty Images

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JULY 31: ‘Black Hole Apocalypse’ teacher Andrea Ghez speaks on stage during the PBS portion of the 2017 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 31, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)

“I hope to inspire other young women to pursue this field of knowledge. Physics is a study that can give a lot of satisfaction and if you are passionate about science, there really is a lot to do ”. These were the first words of the researcher Andrea Ghez, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics together with Reinhard Genzel for having discovered that the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is occupied by an invisible and massive object. In light of current knowledge, the only possible explanation is the existence of a black hole.

The scientist is the fourth woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics. To push Andrea Ghez towards this career, it was the first landings on the Moon that fascinated her to the point of making her opt for the study of science.

The scholar, in truth, dreamed of becoming the first female astronaut, an attempt in which she was successful, and her mother has always supported this goal. Her most influential female role model was her high school chemistry teacher. She started in college studying mathematics, then went on to physics. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987 and earned her Ph.D. under Gerry Neugebauer of the California Institute of Technology in 1992.

In 2004 she was accepted as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Professional commitment did not prevent him from starting a family. Andrea Ghez, in fact, is married to geologist Tom LaTourrette, a researcher at RAND Corporation, and they have two children. She is also a passionate swimmer – consider this discipline her escape from science.



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