CCAPP is proud to announce Josephine Baggen (Yale University) and William Cerny (Yale University) as the winners of the 2026 Price Prize in Cosmology and Astrophysics! 

Josephine’s research explores how the first galaxies and black holes emerged in the early Universe. Using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, she studies a class of compact, red objects known as Little Red Dots, whose physical nature remains a major open question. By analyzing their morphology, spectra, and environment, she investigates whether these sources are dense stellar systems, rapidly growing black holes, or a combination of both. Her research has shown that some Little Red Dots are associated with nearby companions and complex structures, providing important evidence that we may be witnessing the formation of the first massive black holes.

William’s research program aims to provide observational constraints on the nature of dark matter and the low-mass threshold of galaxy formation through the discovery and confirmation of the least massive galaxies in the universe. Mining the vast datasets provided by wide-field photometric surveys, he leads searches for “ultra-faint” dwarf galaxies in the distant Milky Way halo. He then uses the Keck and Magellan telescopes to carry out the challenging spectroscopic measurements required to distinguish true dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxies from the morphologically indistinguishable population of ultra-faint star clusters. These efforts have placed among the tightest constraints yet on how small galaxies can be, identifying candidates of merely tens of stars. 

About the Prize

The Dr. Pliny A. and Margaret H. Price Prize recognizes research excellence and exceptional promise in areas related to CCAPP initiatives. Two recipients are selected annually by the CCAPP Science Board based on a review of their research in the areas of cosmology and astroparticle physics. CCAPP hosts Prize recipients for a week during which they give a Price Prize seminar on their research, establish long-term collaborative relationships, and receive a $2,000 honorarium.

Together, Steve Price and his wife Jill Levy created and endowed the Dr. Pliny A. and Margaret H. Price Prize, with generous gifts in honor of Steve's parents, beginning in 2009.