Dr. Shohreh Abdolrahimi joins Department of Physics and Astronomy

Shohreh Abdolrahimi

Dr. Shohreh Abdolrahimi, who has been a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Alberta Physics Department (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), has accepted an offer to join Cal Poly Pomona Department of Physics and Astronomy, starting in Fall 2016.

Dr. Shohreh Abdolrahimi received her Ph D in Physics from University of Alberta in 2010 under the supervision of Prof. Don N. Page. She comes to Cal Poly Pomona after four years of postdoctoral experience (at University of Alberta in Canada, and at University of Oldenburg in Germany), and eleven years of teaching experience. Her primary research goals are in three areas (1) theoretical general relativity, (2) computational general relativity/astrophysics, and (3) quantum effects in flat and curved spacetime and black hole thermodynamics. In the area of computational general relativity/astrophysics, her focus is on the study of properties of tidally distorted black holes, such as black holes in binary systems or the study of the shadow of such black holes.

In summer of 2014, Dr. Abdolrahimi along with a collaborator published a paper on the production of black holes and string balls at the famous Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This research, she emphasizes, is in an area very suitable for involvement of undergraduate students.

Dr. Abdolrahimi states "In 1915, Einstein offered a profound recasting of gravity in terms of a startling new idea. Gravity, Einstein declared, is imprinted in the geometry of the universe. Hundred years since Einstein proposed his theory, its implications are beyond what he has ever imagined. Bending of light, gravitational waves, and black holes are only some of the consequences of his theory. Black holes are one of the most mysterious objects in our universe. The discovery of binary black holes and gravitational waves in LIGO is the beginning of a new era in the field of general relativity, gravitational wave astronomy and black holes. Moreover, the search for the black holes at LHC is still going on." 

Dr. Abdolrahimi also served to the Scientific Community in various capacities including  Vice President of the Physics Student’s Scientific Society, University of Alzahra,Tehran, Iran and she founded the undergraduate Physics magazine of Alzahra university. She adds "Physics has given me the chance of looking at the world and trying to understand it. It also has provided me with enormous opportunities for meeting new people from different countries and traveling to many places."

Dr. Abdolrahimi is moving to Pomona with her husband Christos and her amazing 5-month old son, Nicholas Anastasios. She explains: "My husband, Christos, is from Greece and he is also a physicist. We enjoy gym, swimming, biking, traveling, and reading books for each other. I personally like painting and playing piano. I love to research and read about healthy life style and food."

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