Jonathan Feng

Feng received degrees in physics and mathematics from Harvard University, Cambridge University, and Stanford University. He joined the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) faculty in 2002 and became Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow in 2006, Chancellor’s Professor in 2020, and Distinguished Professor in 2021. Feng is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and his research has been recognized by awards from the National Science, Sloan, Guggenheim, Heising-Simons, and Simons Foundations.

Feng’s work is at the interface of physics and astronomy and explores the deep connections between our understanding of the Universe at the smallest and largest length scales. His research spans topics in cosmology and astroparticle, particle, and nuclear physics. He is recognized for his leadership as founding Co-Spokesperson of the Forward Search Experiment (FASER) at The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and as a central figure in the theoretical study of dark matter, through his work in constructing models, deducing observational consequences, and motivating and interpreting experimental searches.

Feng’s research and interviews have been featured in Science, Nature, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Big Bang Theory, and other popular venues. He has also narrated animated comics about physics that have appeared on PBS television, and he wrote a Scientific American cover story that won the National Magazine Award. At UC Irvine, he is the co-founder of the lecture series “What Matters to Me and Why,” which brings together students, faculty, and staff to hear speakers talk about their most meaningful commitments and beliefs, with the goal of fostering an atmosphere of community on campus.