The College: Division of Physical Sciences

Measurable Impact

Astronomer Andrea Ghez looks for black holes and develops optics, while colleague James Larkin works on the Thirty Meter Telescope. Mathematician Joseph Teran uses modeling to simulate surgery and to help animators create more realistic snow. Another mathematician, Andrea Bertozzi, focuses on crime modeling and image processing. Chemist Neil Garg synthesizes complex bioactive molecules. Geoscientist Aradhna Tripati uses our earth’s past to predict our future climate.

These are only a handful of the outstanding faculty doing research and teaching in the physical sciences at UCLA. The Physical Sciences explore every measurable aspect of the universe, from the nanoscale to the galactic. Known for the rigor and precision of our research, the division includes six academic departments: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Chemistry & Biochemistry; Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences; Mathematics; Physics & Astronomy; and Statistics.

Our renowned faculty and researchers include recipients of the Fields Medal in Mathematics, the Crafoord Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy and the MacArthur Fellowship, as well as members of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

These thinkers and doers are leading the way to fundamental discoveries and innovations with real-world impact. Their discoveries drive progress in technology, encompassing wide-ranging applications from crime modeling to air pollution, pharmaceutical drug creation and advances in modern surgery. They answer questions about where we came from, and where the human population — and the earth and our universe — are going.

Our excellent reputation for teaching and research is bolstered by a culture of cross-campus collaboration, especially with colleagues in the life sciences, medicine and engineering.

Gifts to Physical Sciences help us to strengthen and accelerate the pathway to discovery by investing in top faculty and researchers, providing state-of-the-art research and teaching environments, and stimulating scientific entrepreneurship.