Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology

07/21/2026

We're proud to see GWAC Director Sean McWilliams sharing his passion for gravitational waves and cosmology with the next generation of leaders at the West Virginia Governor’s Honors Academy. Through this prestigious summer program, Sean is helping some of the state's brightest rising high school seniors explore big questions in science, discovery, and critical thinking—continuing GWAC's commitment to education, outreach, and inspiring future researchers. 🌟🔭

For more information, visit the West Virginia Department of Education or click below!

🔗https://wvde.us/academics/middle-secondary-education/student-events-programs-initiatives/governors-schools/governors-honors-academy

06/11/2026

The GREENBURST research team got together for a group photo yesterday!

Led by principal investigator Professor Duncan Lorimer FRS alongside Professor Maura McLaughlin and Dr. Joseph Kania ('23; University of Manchester), the team investigates rare, fleeting, deep-space signals such as fast radio bursts and pulsars. GREENBURST is a high-tech system that piggybacks on the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. By operating quietly in the background while other astronomers use the telescope, GREENBURST searches the sky continuously without needing its own dedicated observation time.

L-R: Shawaiz Tabassum, Joseph Lituchy (Morgantown High School), Professor Maura McLaughlin, Maxwell Flanagan, Professor Duncan Lorimer, Tyler Thomas, Ashley Stone, Abyss Halley, Susie Paine, Morrigan Passey, Sloane Sirota, and Graham Doskoch

06/11/2026

Big news for gravitational-wave science at WVU! 🌌

A team of researchers, including Physics and Astronomy chair Maura McLaughlin, at the WVU have been awarded a nearly $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to continue exploring some of the universe’s biggest mysteries.

Thank you WVU Stories for amplifying our team.

Learn more about the award and its impact:
https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2026/06/11/wvu-researchers-probe-spacetime-ripples-with-nearly-6m-nsf-grant

Backed by $5.9 million in National Science Foundation funding, West Virginia University researchers are using stars that function like celestial clocks to search for spacetime ripples known as gravitational waves.

06/10/2026

One of the highlights of the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy REU program is connecting students with researchers across WVU. Yesterday, GWAC Postdoctoral Fellow Vladimir Strokov shared insights into his work, giving students a glimpse into the exciting research opportunities available through GWAC and the broader astrophysics community.

06/04/2026

The first Internal Symposium was a success!

Students, faculty and staff came together to present their work, learn from one another and spark new conversations on topics across physics and astronomy. Thanks to everyone who presented and attended! Same time next year?

04/30/2026

📢We are now looking for our next round of NASA WV Space Grant Ambassadors!📢

Serve as a vital link between the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium
(WVSGC) and the community. This position will increase awareness of the WV Space Grant Consortium and the opportunities students have.

OPPORTUNITIES:
💰$1,000 Stipend
🧳Chance to travel for National Space Grant Conference
📃 Build your resume
🚀Interact with K-12 students, higher education students, and the general public to inspire interest in STEM and NASA-related opportunities
💫And more!

🔭Learn more & apply here!
https://www.wvspacegrant.org/nasa-wvsgc-ambassador-program/

04/29/2026

Join us on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 6:00 PM in White Hall G09 for the 2026 Cooper Lecture. This year's lecture will feature Professor Feryal Özel of Georgia Tech. Her talk is titled "In Search of the Small and the Big." A reception will precede the lecture at 5:30 PM in White Hall 105.

Read Dr. Özel's abstract and biography on our website:
🔗 https://physics.wvu.edu/news-and-events/colloquia/cooper-lecture-series/cooper-lecture

ℹ️ | The Cooper Lecture Series honors the legacy of Professor Bernard R. Cooper. Lectures are held annually during the spring semester. Professor Bernard R. Cooper received his B.S. in Physics from MIT in 1957 and his Ph. D. in Physics from the University of California – Berkeley in 1961 working with Charles Kittel. He joined the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy in 1974 as the Benedum Professor of Physics after working at Harvard and General Electric. He was an expert in the theory of magnetism, especially the magnetic properties of rare earth and actinide metals. He was a fellow of the American Physical Society. The Cooper Lecture series was dedicated in his honor at the time of his retirement in 2003. Professor Cooper passed away in 2013.



WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology
Georgia Tech

04/28/2026

What goes into the process of capturing an image of a black hole?
Our next WVUniverse speaker was the pioneer scientist who led the Event Horizon Telescope project that imaged the first black hole. Join us on April 28th for a special finale talk. Free and all ages welcome. Bring the whole family and your questions!

WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy
WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
West Virginia University
WVU Planetarium
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WVU

04/27/2026

Tomorrow! We hope to see you in the WVU Planetarium dome for this free talk, perfect for all ages.
WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy
West Virginia University
WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WVU

What goes into the process of capturing an image of a black hole?
Our next WVUniverse speaker was the pioneer scientist who led the Event Horizon Telescope project that imaged the first black hole. Join us on April 28th for a special finale talk. Free and all ages welcome. Bring the whole family and your questions!

WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy
WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
West Virginia University
WVU Planetarium
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WVU