Charles Bennett

Charles L. Bennett is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Alumni Centennial Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, with a joint appointment at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. A prominent researcher in experimental cosmology, his work centers on the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the remnant electromagnetic radiation from the early universe. Bennett led NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) mission, selected in 1996, launched in 2001, and delivering first results in 2003, which produced detailed maps of the CMB and contributed to establishing the standard model of cosmology. Previously, he was Deputy Principal Investigator for the Differential Microwave Radiometers instrument on NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) mission. He joined Johns Hopkins in 2005 from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, was named Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in 2015, and serves as a Gilman Scholar, co-Principal Investigator for the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS), and Director of Space@Hopkins. Bennett earned his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research interests include experimental astrophysics, cosmology, radio, submillimeter, and infrared astronomy, and astronomical instrumentation.

Bennett's contributions have profoundly influenced cosmology, with over 112,000 citations on Google Scholar. Key publications include 'Nine-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Cosmological Parameter Results' (2013), 'Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Observations: Cosmological Interpretation' (2009), 'First-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Determination of Cosmological Parameters' (2003), 'Three-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Implications for Cosmology' (2007), and 'Structure in the COBE Differential Microwave Radiometer First-Year Maps' (1992). He has received the 2018 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, 2010 Shaw Prize in Astronomy, Gruber Cosmology Prize, Rumford Prize, Comstock Prize in Physics, Harvey Prize, Henry Draper Medal, two NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medals (for COBE and WMAP), and NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal. Bennett is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Professional Email: cbennett@jhu.edu