Astrophysicist Paul M. Sutter is driven to share and inspire discovery.

As his visiting postdoctoral fellowship drew to a close at Ohio State’s Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Research (CCAPP), astrophysicist Paul Sutter realized he did not want to look elsewhere for another position. 

CCAPP, one of the nation’s premier astrophysics research centers, did not want that either.

During his years at Ohio State, Sutter has gained a reputation for not just being able to translate science to the public, but doing it in such a way that it was addictive. Case in point: his “Ask a Spaceman” podcast series and his “Space in Your Face” YouTube channel.

Sutter has also hosted many outreach events, particularly at COSI in Columbus. And COSI didn’t want him going anywhere else either.

Proving that sometimes you can have the best of two possible worlds, both Ohio State and COSI created brand-new positions for Sutter that will allow him to captivate and innovate through scientific outreach.

Sutter’s head is still in the stars, but his feet are firmly planted at CCAPP, where he is its first cosmological research and community outreach coordinator, and at COSI, where he became its first chief scientist.

In his spare time, Sutter is one of the world's leading experts on cosmic voids — the vast empty spaces between galaxies — and has devised innovative methods for using radio telescopes to probe deep into cosmic history, when the first stars and galaxies formed.

Astrophysicist David Weinberg, astronomy department chair, said, “Paul has been a key member of Ohio State's cosmology community for the last five years. He is also an exceptionally gifted scientific communicator. When it comes to engaging the public at the frontiers of astronomy, Paul is his own force of nature.”