Mavalvala will be the first woman to serve as dean at the university's School of Science, according to MIT News.The astrophysics professor is renowned for her pioneering work in gravitational-wave detection, which she conducted as a leading member of LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. She has received numerous awards and honors for her research and teaching, and since 2015 has been the associate head of the department of physics at the MIT.

“Nergis’s brilliance as a researcher and educator speaks eloquently for itself,” said MIT President L Rafael Reif. “What excites me equally about her appointment as dean are the qualities I have seen in her as a leader: She is a deft, collaborative problem-solver, a wise and generous colleague, an incomparable mentor, and a champion for inclusive excellence. As we prepare for the start of this most unusual academic year, it gives me great comfort to know that the School of Science will remain in such capable hands.”

“I have had the privilege of working with some amazing people,” says Mavalvala of her time as associate department head. She credits the many students and colleagues she has worked closely with, especially [department head] Peter Fisher: “Through him, I’ve learned about leadership with compassion, with heart.”

As with most everything she takes on, Mavalvala is energised and optimistic about the role ahead, even as she acknowledges the unprecedented challenges the school faces in these shifting times.