Randall, Lisa,
1962–, American theoretical physicist and writer, b. New York City,
B.A. Harvard University, 1983, Ph.D. Harvard University, 1987. Randall is a
theoretical physicist and noted authority on particle physics and cosmology. She was the first woman to
earn tenure in the field of physics at Princeton, MIT, and Harvard, where
she has served as professor since 2001. Her research focuses on puzzles in
the current understanding of the properties and interactions of matter.
Randall's work has made significant contributions to the study of extra
dimensions of space, particle physics, and supersymmetry. In 2004, she was
recognized as the most cited theoretical physicist in the world, with a
reported total of approximately 10,000 citations. In 2007,
Time magazine selected Randall as one of the most
influential people in the world. Described by Newsweek as
"one of the most promising theoretical physicists of her generation,"
Randall is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American
Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her
writings include Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the
Universe's Hidden Dimensions (2005), Knocking on
Heaven's Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the
Universe and the Modern World (2011), Higgs Discovery:
The Power of Empty Space (2012), and Dark Matter and
the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the
Universe (2015).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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