Steven Penn

Steven Penn is a Professor of Physics at Hobart and William Smith Colleges whose work centers on advancing gravitational-wave detection. He is a longtime member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, contributing to the design and characterization of low-thermal-noise mirror coatings and precision optomechanical systems that enhance detector sensitivity. Penn collaborates broadly with teams at institutions including Syracuse University and the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on material losses, coating mechanics, and interferometric performance. His research bridges laboratory materials science and large-scale observatories, helping enable landmark gravitational-wave observations and training students in experimental physics and instrumentation.