People Spotlights

Rea A. and Lela G. Axline Professor of Business Economics and History, Emeritus

Philip T. Hoffman

Caltech is the one place where you really can do interdisciplinary work, whether you are a professor or a student. You never stop learning—or advancing the frontiers of knowledge."

Edie and Lew Wasserman Professor of Social Science History; Ronald and Maxine Linde Leadership Chair, Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Caltech

Tracy Dennison

Our memories for epidemics are very short. We keep hearing that things will never be the same again, but that's not what the history tells us. Some things may change, but the kind of profound social reorganization one might expect is unlikely."

Richard N. Merkin Professor of Mathematical Finance

Jakša Cvitanić

We create an environment in which interdisciplinary, original research involving the social sciences and quantitative fields can thrive. It boils down to two things, which are education and research. There are not many places like Caltech where students can learn from experts from so many different fields in a natural way."

Rea A. and Lela G. Axline Professor of Business Economics; Director, Ronald and Maxine Linde Institute of Economic and Management Sciences

Jean-Laurent Rosenthal

We have to restore people's understanding that science and engineering solve a lot of social problems, while also sensitizing scientists and engineers to the reality that their solutions must find traction within societal structures that decide what succeeds and what fails.

Assistant Professor of English and Black Studies

Dana Murphy

I research Black expressive cultures in the U.S. and elsewhere in the Black diaspora. I am thrilled to teach students who care so deeply about social justice, diversity, and inclusion."

Robert M. Abbey Professor of History; Director and General Editor, The Einstein Papers Project

Diana Kormos Buchwald

We are always asked, 'Is there anything we don't know about Einstein?' And as editors of the Einstein Papers Project, we always reply, 'Yes, there is a lot that we are learning and discovering, about his work, and that of many others, about Einstein not being just the icon with funny hair but a professional, hard-working scientist with deep preoccupations.'"