High distinction from the American Astronomical Society

Sherry Suyu to receive 2021 Berkeley Prize

Determining the Hubble constant, a measure of the expansion of the universe, has been one of the most exciting challenges in physics for years: Measurements in today's universe provide different values than those inferred from the early phase of the universe.

Using light from far away quasars, which is bent by the gravitation of foreground galaxies, Prof. Sherry Suyu and her international team of astrophysicists have developed a new way of calculating the Hubble constant that is independent of all previous methods.

Honoring this achievement, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has now awarded her the Lancelot M. Berkeley - New York Community Trust Award for meritorious work in astronomy. The prize includes a monetary award and an invitation to give the closing plenary lecture at the AAS winter meeting, which will take place from 11 to 15 January 2021 as an online event.

In addition to teaching as an Assistant Professor at TUM and her role as a Research Group Leader at the MPA, Suyu is a Visiting Scholar at the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in Taipeh (Taiwan) and a principal investigator at the Cluster of Excellence "ORIGINS". Her H0LiCOW team includes scientists at institutions in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Taiwan.