Sandra Faber

Sandra Faber is an esteemed American astrophysicist renowned for her groundbreaking research on the formation and evolution of galaxies. Born on December 28, 1944, in Boston, Massachusetts, she earned her B.A. in Physics from Swarthmore College in 1966 and completed her Ph.D. in Astronomy at Harvard University in 1972. Faber joined the faculty at the University of California, Santa Cruz, becoming the first woman on staff at the Lick Observatory. Her work has significantly advanced our understanding of the universe, particularly through the development of the Faber–Jackson relation, which links the brightness of elliptical galaxies to the speed of stars within them .

Throughout her illustrious career, Faber has contributed to several pivotal projects in astronomy. She played a crucial role in the design and construction of the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, one of the largest optical telescopes in the world. Additionally, she was instrumental in the development of the Wide-Field Planetary Camera for the Hubble Space Telescope, helping to diagnose and correct its spherical aberration. Faber's leadership extended to the Nuker Team, which utilized the Hubble Space Telescope to search for supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, and the DEIMOS project, enhancing the Keck II telescope's capabilities to observe distant galaxies .

Faber's reflections on her field offer profound insights into the human condition and our place in the cosmos. She has remarked, "It's astronomy that puts us in perspective; it tells us where we come from, and cosmically, where we're going." This perspective underscores her belief in the unifying power of science to connect humanity with the vastness of the universe. Additionally, she has stated, "We’re on our own on spaceship Earth. So we have to solve our own problems." This sentiment reflects her commitment to addressing global challenges through scientific inquiry and collaboration.