Rate My Professor Sara Seager

Sara Seager is the North Star Distinguished Professor at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) at the University of Toronto, with cross-appointments in the Departments of Physics, Chemistry, and the David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics. She joins the University of Toronto effective September 1, 2026. Seager earned a BSc in the Math and Physics Specialist Program from the University of Toronto in 1994 and a PhD in Astronomy from Harvard University in 1999. Prior to her appointment at the University of Toronto, she served as Professor of Physics, Professor of Planetary Science, and Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she held the Class of 1941 Professorship. She previously held positions at the Carnegie Institution for Science and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Seager is a pioneer in the study of exoplanets and exoplanet atmospheres, with research focused on the detection and characterization of these worlds and the search for signs of life. Her contributions include serving as Deputy Science Director of the NASA TESS mission and leading concept studies for the Starshade mission to enable direct imaging of Earth-sized exoplanets. She continues to lead the Morning Star Missions to Venus, aimed at investigating potential biosignatures in the planet’s atmosphere. Seager has received numerous honors, including the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, a MacArthur Fellowship, election to the National Academy of Sciences, and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2023, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Toronto. Her work has advanced understanding of planetary habitability and the potential for life beyond Earth through interdisciplinary approaches combining astronomy, chemistry, physics, and engineering.