Fall/Winter 2025 Events

With approximately 20 dynamic events each year in Southern California, Northern California, and New York City, the Caltech Associates program offers regular opportunities to learn about what's new and what's next directly from the people defining future directions in a broad range of disciplines. Event Q&A sessions afford the chance to gain even more insight. For event registration or information about becoming a member, please contact us at (626) 395-3919.

Guest policy. We welcome guests interested in joining the Caltech Associates to accompany a member at up to two Associates events before deciding. Members should always attend events with their registered guests. Please note that reservations for guests unaccompanied by a member are subject to cancellation.

Pasadena, California
Thursday, September 18, 2025
10:00 am

James J. (Jamie) Bock, the Marvin L. Goldberger Professor of Physics and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Senior Research Scientist, will join us for brunch at The Athenaeum and introduce us to SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer).

An all-sky survey satellite that launched earlier this year, SPHEREx will probe the physics of cosmic inflation, chart the history of galaxy formation, and study the origin of water and biogenic molecules in ices in interstellar space. The mission is managed by JPL for NASA. After the presentation, we'll depart by chartered coach for our private afternoon tour of JPL.

Palo Alto, California
Saturday, September 27, 2025
6:00 pm

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, might contain approximately 100 million black holes, but we've only detected a small number so far. Fewer than 100 have been observed, and only about 20 are confirmed with certainty. Most of what we know comes from rare cosmic events, such as pairs of stars that emit X-rays or produce gravitational waves that ripple through space.

Kareem El-Badry, assistant professor of astronomy, will explain how his team is searching for a much larger population of black holes in our galaxy that have so far gone undetected. He will discuss how unusual stars like "stripped" stars, which have lost part of themselves to a companion, can help us understand the mysterious lives and deaths of stars and the origins of black holes.

San Diego, California
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
1:30 pm

Among the most iconic scientific facilities in the world and a crown jewel of Caltech's research traditions, Palomar Observatory is primarily the vision of George Ellery Hale. He, along with a dedicated team of astronomers, engineers, technicians, and builders, secured funding, designed the telescopes and site, and built the Observatory much as it exists today.

During our private tour, we will have the opportunity to stargaze through the Observatory's 60-inch telescope. We'll also enjoy dinner inside the 200-inch telescope's dome, along with a presentation by Mansi Kasliwal, professor of astronomy, whose research group uses two robotic, wide-field infrared and optical cameras at the Observatory to study the lifecycle of stars.

New York City, New York
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
6:00 pm

Cancer cells often rely heavily on a protein called DNA2 to survive when their genetic replication encounters problems. This creates an opportunity: blocking DNA2 can hit cancer cells much harder than healthy cells—a concept called "synthetic lethality."

Judith Campbell, professor of chemistry and biology, will discuss her lab's work to develop molecules that block DNA2. In trials with mice, these inhibitors proved to be well-tolerated and effective against aggressive cancers like triple-negative breast cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, and bone cancer. They can also be combined with chemotherapy, radiation, or other targeted drugs, making DNA2 a promising new candidate for precise, tailored treatments.

Pasadena, California
Thursday, October 30, 2025
6:00 pm

From its origins as the spark of Southern California's early aerospace industry, GALCIT (Graduate Aerospace Laboratories) has evolved to encompass unmatched experimental facilities in solids, fluids, biomechanics, propulsion, combustion, and materials and large-scale computational resources. Today, the faculty and staff are developing methods to probe ocean depths, accelerate high-speed terrestrial flight, and advance space exploration and technology.

Sergio Pellegrino, the Joyce and Kent Kresa Professor of Aerospace and Civil Engineering and director of GALCIT, will discuss the fascinating history and interdisciplinary future of research at the Laboratories with John Dabiri, Centennial Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering, and Michael Watkins, professor of aerospace and geophysics.

Virtual via Zoom
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
11:00 am

The publication of the Collected Papers of Albert Einstein has been a long-standing editorial project that began shortly after his death in 1955. The trustees of his estate organized the documents in his home and collected a substantial amount of additional material from around the world over a period of 25 years. They aimed to publish all of Einstein's papers, both personal and scientific, and in 1971, Princeton University Press took on this significant effort. By the mid-1980s, they had collected more than 40,000 items.

The project later relocated to Boston University and then to Caltech in 2000, under the editorial direction of Diana Kormos-Buchwald, the Robert M. Abbey Professor of History. The editors are currently investigating Einstein's visits to Caltech in the early 1930s, exploring his scientific work, daily conversations, friendships, political interventions, and amusements. Through a collection that has grown to more than 80,000 documents, they are uncovering new insights into science and life at Caltech, in Pasadena, and beyond.

Pasadena, California
Thursday, December 11, 2025
11:00 am

One of our most popular events of the year, our annual holiday luncheon is a favorite occasion to gather with faculty, friends, and fellow Associates in the cheerful atmosphere of The Athenaeum's festive decor.

Our speaker will be David Zierler, the Ronald and Maxine Linde Director of the Caltech Heritage Project. The Project curates historical materials, publishes oral history interviews with members of the Caltech community, and produces stories and presentations that promote the Institute's positive impact on society and the world. He will discuss the Project and his forthcoming book, To Illuminate Nature from Molecules to the Cosmos: A Narrative History of Caltech Discovery.