Speaker Spotlight

Vivian U is an observational astronomer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. Vivian received her bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology and her PhD in Astronomy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is currently a co-chair of the Habitable Worlds Observatory Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) Science Working Group and a member of the NASA Cosmic Origins AGN Science Interest Group Leadership Council. She also leads the extragalactic science team within the Far-InfraRed Spectroscopy Space Telescope probe mission collaboration.

Vivian’s research focuses on understanding the role that supermassive black holes play in governing the life cycle of their host galaxies as galaxies interact and merge, and how merging galaxies contribute to the assembly history of the universe. She and her group primarily use the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Telescopes to decipher the mysteries around black holes in their investigations supported by NASA, Space Telescope Science Institute and the National Science Foundation. She has also been featured in the PBS NOVA episode “New Eye on the Universe” discussing the discoveries that she and her international collaboration made using Webb Space Telescope.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Vivian moved to the Greater Los Angeles area at the age of 11 and considers herself a native of Southern California. She pursues work-life balance and advocates for working parents in her field. She loves spending quality time with her three children.