Eliot Quataert is a leading figure in Space Science as a theoretical astrophysicist. He holds the position of Charles A. Young Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University since July 2020. Prior to this, he spent nearly two decades at the University of California, Berkeley, joining as Assistant Professor of Astronomy in 2001, advancing to Professor of Astronomy and Physics in 2008, and serving as Chair of the Department of Astronomy and Director of the Theoretical Astrophysics Center from 2019 to 2020. Earlier, he was a long-term member at the Institute for Advanced Study from 1999 to 2001. Quataert received his B.S. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1995 and his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University in 1999.

Quataert's research focuses on a broad array of topics in theoretical astrophysics, including the physics of black holes, stars, plasma astrophysics, and galaxy formation, utilizing both analytical models and numerical simulations. With over 430 refereed publications, his key contributions include recent works such as “Magnetized Accretion onto and Feedback from Supermassive Black Holes in Elliptical Galaxies” (Guo et al., ApJ, 2024), “Tidal Disruption of a Star on a Nearly Circular Orbit” (Linial & Quataert, ApJ, 2024), and “The Peak Frequency and Luminosity of Synchrotron Emitting Shocks: from Non-Relativistic to Ultra-Relativistic Explosions” (Margalit & Quataert, ApJ, 2024). He has received numerous accolades, including election to the National Academy of Sciences (2020) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2018), the Simons Investigator in Physics award (2012), the Helen B. Warner Prize from the American Astronomical Society (2005) for contributions to plasma astrophysics and accretion processes, the David and Lucile Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering (2003), and the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship (1999). Quataert has also been recognized for teaching excellence with the Noyce Prize (2010). He has held significant leadership roles, such as on the editorial board of Annual Reviews of Astronomy and Astrophysics (2015-2022) and various National Academy of Sciences committees, including the 2020 Decadal Survey Steering Committee and the Space Studies Board (2016-2022).

Professional Email: quataert@princeton.edu