Andrew Vanderburg

Andrew Vanderburg

he/him
Physics
Attentive to student needs

“Andrew is incredibly generous with his time, resources, and passion for mentoring the next generation of astronomers,” praised one of his students. “I hope that one day I can be as amazing of a mentor as Andrew.”

Prof. Andrew Vanderburg is Bruno B. Rossi Career Development Assistant Professor of Physics and is affiliated with the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. His research focuses on studying exoplanets. Vanderburg is interested in developing cutting-edge techniques and methods to discover new planets outside of our solar system, and studying these planets to learn their detailed properties.

Promoting work/life balance

Vanderburg is respectful of students’ boundaries between their research and personal life. Moreover, he leads by example in striking a healthy balance. A nominator commented that he has recently been working on his wildlife photography skills, and has even shared some of his photos at the group’s meetings.

Vanderburg comments that balancing personal and work life is something that almost everyone he knows struggles with, from undergraduate students to faculty. “I encourage my group members to spend free time doing things they enjoy outside of work,” Vanderburg says, “and I try to model that balanced behavior myself.”

Vanderburg also notes that he understands and accepts that sometimes personal lives can completely overwhelm everything else and affect work and studies. He says “when times like these inevitably happen, I just have to acknowledge that life is unpredictable, family comes first, and that the astronomy can wait.”

In addition, Vanderburg organizes group outings, such as hiking, apple picking, and Red Sox games, and occasionally hosts group gatherings at his home. An advisee noted that “these efforts make our group feel incredibly welcoming, and fosters friendship between all our team members.”

Investment in student growth and development

Vanderburg has provided individualized guidance and support to over a dozen students in his first two years as faculty at MIT. His students credit him with “meeting them where they are,” and say that he candidly addresses themes like imposter syndrome and student feelings of belonging in astronomy. Vanderburg is always ready to offer his fresh perspective and unwavering support to his students.

Vanderburg shares that “I try to treat everyone in my group with kindness and support”, allowing his students to trust that he has their best interest at heart. Students feel this way as well; another nominator exclaimed that Vanderburg “genuinely and truly is one of the kindest humans I know”. 

Vanderburg went above and beyond in offering his students support and insisting that his advisees will accomplish their goals. One nominator said, “his support meant the world to me at a time where I doubted my own abilities and potential.”

Vanderburg’s Committed to Caring honor recognizes his seemingly endless capacity to share his knowledge, support his students through difficult times, and invest in his mentees’ personal growth and development.