George Ray Blumenthal

George Ray Blumenthal (born October 20, 1945) is an American astrophysicist and astronomer. He served as the 10th chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz from 2006 to 2019.

Biography Blumenthal was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 20, 1945, Blumenthal holds a B.S. in physics from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, San Diego.

Blumenthal is known particularly for his work with Santa Cruz colleagues Sandra M. Faber and Joel Primack and with Martin Rees of Cambridge University on dark matter. Their theory of cold dark matter, developed in the 1980s, remains the standard explanation of the formation of galaxies and galaxy clusters. Blumenthal has also worked in many other areas of astrophysics, including the study of gamma-ray bursts, accretion disks, active galaxies, and the microwave background radiation left by the Big Bang.

He co-authored of two textbooks, 21st Century Astronomy and Understanding Our Universe, and has written more than 75 scientific publications.

Personal life Blumenthal is married to UC Hastings professor of law Kelly Weisberg, with whom he has two children.