Kansas State University Physicist Lado Samushia Promoted to Full Professor

A portrait of faculty member Lado Samushia, in a blue shirt. He is being recognized for his promotion to full professor at K-State.

The Kansas State University Department of Physics is proud to announce that cosmologist Lado Samushia has been promoted to the rank of Full Professor, effective July 1, 2026.

Samushia is among 70 faculty members university-wide to be recognized this year for excellence in research, instruction, and service. His promotion marks a significant milestone in a career dedicated to unraveling the fundamental laws that govern the expansion and structure of our universe.

Samushia plays a leading role in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) project—an international collaboration tasked with creating the largest-ever 3D map of the universe. By analyzing the distribution of millions of galaxies, Samushia’s research helps "weigh" the universe and test the limits of General Relativity. His contributions to understanding Dark Energy—the mysterious force driving the accelerated expansion of the cosmos—have solidified his reputation as a world-class researcher and a vital asset to the K-State physics community.

Since joining the university, Samushia has been a driving force in both research and teaching. His promotion to full professor reflects not only his research output and successful grant acquisitions but also his commitment to mentoring the next generation of physicists.

"Lado’s promotion is a well-deserved recognition of his leadership in the field of cosmology," said Tim Bolton, head of Physics. "His work on projects like DESI puts K-State at the forefront of global scientific discovery, and we are thrilled to see his contributions recognized. On the teaching front Lado is doing some exciting work in putting together a new two-semester sequence of online courses in astrodynamics. These will be part of a graduate certificate program in astronautics and space systems sponsored by K-State Salina and K-State Physics."

Please join the department in congratulating Dr. Samushia on this exceptional achievement. We look forward to his continued leadership as he explores the furthest reaches of the cosmos.

Link: Advancing excellence: 70 K-State faculty promoted, 27 earn tenure