Sara Seager
Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Research Focus
About Sara
Sara Seager is the Class of 1941 Professor of Planetary Science, Professor of Physics, and Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She works on exoplanets, planets that orbit stars other than the sun. Her research has introduced many foundational ideas to the field of theory, computation, and data analysis for exoplanet characterization. Her current research focuses on biosignature gases for the search for life on exoplanets. Professor Seager actively works on space telescopes and mission concepts for search for another Earth. She was the Deputy Science Director for the MIT-led NASA mission TESS, was the PI for the JPL/MIT CubeSat ASTERIA, and leads the Starshade Rendezvous Mission concept study. Among other accolades, Professor Seager is the 2012 recipient of the Sackler Prize in Physics, a 2013 MacArthur Fellow, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2015. Asteroid 9729 Seager is named in her honor.
Honors
2020 - Officer of the Order of Canada
2018 - American Academy of Arts and Sciences Member
2018 - American Philosophical Society Member
2015 - Honorary PhD, University of British Columbia
2015 - National Academy of Sciences Member
2013 - MacArthur Fellow
2012 - American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
2012 - Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in the Physical Sciences
2007 - Helen B. Warner Prize, American Astronomical Society
2004 - Bok Prize in Astronomy, Harvard University
Education
Postdoc
Institute for Advanced Study, 09/1999 - 07/2002
Ph.D.
Astronomy, Harvard University, 09/1999
Bachelor's
Math and Physics, University of Toronto, 05/1994
