The SETI Institute is pleased to announce Dr. Karen I. Perez as the inaugural recipient of the William J. Welch Postdoctoral Fellowship at the SETI Institute. Beginning in the Fall of 2025, Perez will develop real-time, machine-learning-enabled and GPU- accelerated analysis pipelines for detecting single-pulse transients, as well as narrowband and broadband technosignatures, using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) in Hat Creek, CA and other telescopes around the world.
Her research will bridge science and engineering, advancing the field of radio astronomy through the integration of NVIDIA accelerator technology, which is crucial for advancing the SETI Institute's data-intensive search for signals from intelligent life.
“Working at the SETI Institute and contributing to the search for intelligent life has been a dream of mine since I was 15," said Perez. "I've had the privilege of crossing paths with many of the field's pioneers-including Jack Welch, Jill Tarter, and Frank Drake. I'm honored to be the first Welch Postdoctoral Fellow and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of what I believe is the coolest, most exciting endeavor in history!"
The press release is on the SETI Institute's website.
Dr. Perez received her undergraduate degree in Astrophysics from Cornell University. While at Cornell she worked with Professor Jim Cordes, Professor Lisa Kaltenegger and Professor Shami Chatterjee as an undergraduate research, and as the Mary Ann West fellowship recipient. She was also active with the Cornell Astronomical Society during her undergraduate years here. Congratulations to Karen on her latest accomplishment.
