The Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) has appointed Daniel Baumann as the Stephen W Hawking Professor of Cosmology. Baumann will be the first to hold this Chair, which has been established through the generous support of the Avery-Tsui Foundation. As its title reflects, the Chair honours the unique scientific legacy of the late Professor Stephen Hawking, who was a member of DAMTP for forty years.
Baumann will take up the appointment in June 2026. Initially, he will serve on a part-time basis while continuing in his role as Director of the Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics at National Taiwan University. According to Professor Nick Dorey, Head of DAMTP, “Daniel Baumann is a leading cosmologist whose work explores the consequences of fundamental theory for the early Universe. His appointment builds on DAMTP’s long and distinguished tradition of contributions to theoretical cosmology, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Department.”