The Provost’s Spotlight Talks feature eminent visitors to the university as well as SBU faculty members who have recently been recognized for outstanding contributions in their field. Barry Barish delivered a talk, " Gravitational Waves: Unraveling the Mysteries of our Universe," on March 20, 2024. Barry is the President’s Distinguished Endowed Chair in Physics at Stony Brook University. He received his bachelor's degree in physics and his Ph.D. in experimental high-energy physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He has been on the Stony Brook faculty since last year. He was acknowledged for his “exemplary service to science, including groundbreaking research on sub-atomic particles. His leadership of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory [LIGO] led to the first detection of gravitational waves from merging black holes, confirming a key part of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. He has broadened our understanding of the universe and our nation’s sense of wonder and discovery.”