The High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) of the American Astronomical Society has awarded Laura Lopez, an associate professor in the Department of Astronomy, the 2022 Early Career Prize.

“I am truly honored to receive the HEAD Early Career Prize,” Lopez said. “I am grateful to my talented group members and to my outstanding mentors who have supported me along the way. Since I was a student, I have appreciated being part of the wonderful high-energy astrophysics community, so this award means a lot to me.”

The American Astronomical Society awards the HEAD Early Career Prize each year to an individual astrophysicist within 10 years of receiving their PhD for a significant advance or accomplishment in high-energy observational or theoretical astrophysics. Lopez was honored for her “novel and sustained contributions to our understanding of supernova remnants and compact objects in the local universe as well as her pioneering considerations of stellar feedback in HII regions.”

Lopez earned her PhD in astronomy and astrophysics in 2011 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and she arrived at Ohio State as an assistant professor of astronomy in 2015. Her research focuses on supernovae, the birth and death of stars, and the interstellar medium.

Read more about HEAD’s 2022 award winners here.