Dong Lai, Ph.D. ’94, the Benson Jay Simon ’59 MBA ’62 and Mary Ellen Simon MA ’63 Professor of Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), has been awarded the 2024 Dirk Brouwer Career Award by the Division on Dynamical Astronomy (DDA) of the American Astronomical Society.

The award recognizes Lai’s “formidable and broad contributions to astrophysical dynamics, his outstanding mentoring record, and his wide-ranging professional service activities.”

“Prof. Lai is a prolific researcher whose expertise spans fluid dynamics, magneto-hydrodynamics, N-body dynamics and relativistic dynamics, as well as neutron stars, black holes, white dwarfs and exoplanets. The depth and impact of his expertise is showcased in his many invited review papers, as well as with his individual pioneering advancements in each of these fields,” the award citation states. “Prof. Lai's boundless enthusiasm and energy for scientific advancement has also benefited the community through his mentorship and service.”

Examples of Lai’s contributions to dynamical astronomy include the identification of astrophysical spin-orbit coupling in binary pulsars as a robust mechanism for measuring the asymmetry of core-collapse supernovae and the application of tidal dissipation in planet-hosting stars to reveal the prior evolutionary history of the planets.

Read the full story on the College of Arts and Sciences website.