Newman Prize: Cate Kiley '26

During assembly on Monday, December 8, Cate Kiley '26 shared her experience meeting astrophysicist and Nobel laureate Andrea Ghez, PhD, as the Class of 2026's Newman Prize recipient.

Established in 1992 by Mark Vittert '65 and named for the late Eric Newman '28 — a student at Burroughs on its opening day in 1923 — the Newman Prize annually grants a junior the opportunity to meet an inspiring American of their choosing.

In August, Cate and her mom traveled to Los Angeles to visit Dr. Ghez, the UCLA professor who received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. As only the fourth woman in history to receive this honor, Dr. Ghez represented an especially meaningful choice for a young woman interested in a career in STEM.

"I grew up hearing the word no all the time," Dr. Ghez said in a National Geographic video that Cate shared during her presentation, reflecting on the obstacles she faced early in her career. "I think I developed a passion for proving people wrong."

Cate's day began with Dr. Ghez's Galactic Center Group, where students and faculty shared what drew them to astrophysics and their passion for research. Their enthusiasm and sense of community made an immediate impression.

After lunch, Cate toured the group’s offices and learned about several of their current projects, including tests of Einstein’s theory of general relativity and studies of mysterious “G objects” near the galaxy’s center. She also visited the control room where researchers remotely access Hawaii’s Keck Observatory.

Cate then met one-on-one with Dr. Ghez, discussing women in STEM and some of the skills that help researchers thrive — networking, interpersonal communication, and building social capital among them.

"One piece of advice from Dr. Ghez that stuck with me was to find what you love, do something that makes you a little uncomfortable, and give back," Cate reflected. "From our conversation, I realized that the big decisions that come with graduating high school can be made simply by following my passions."

The trip, she said, was transformative — deepening her curiosity, clarifying her academic interests, and strengthening her desire to explore astrophysics when she starts college next fall.

Following Cate’s presentation, Andy Newman '62, a member of the Newman Prize committee, announced Ayokunlemi Ajakaiye '27 as the next Newman Prize recipient. Ayo’s shortlist of potential Americans to meet includes:

• Anna Donlon, game developer and head of Valorant Studios
• Steve Ballmer, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers
• Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia
• Mark Walter, majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers
• LeBron James, a power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers

Other popular choices among the Class of 2027 included NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, fashion designer Tory Burch, former First Lady Michelle Obama, NBA stars LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant, content creator Dean Withers, and U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett.

Photos by Clark Thomas '83 and courtesy of Cate Kiley '26.