SETI Institute Appoints Dr. Karen I. Perez as Inaugural Welch Fellow

The SETI Institute announced on June 13, 2025, the appointment of Dr. Karen I. Perez as the first recipient of the William J. Welch Postdoctoral Fellowship. Starting in the Fall of 2025, Dr. Perez will spearhead the development of advanced analysis pipelines designed to detect single-pulse transients and technosignatures through the use of machine learning and GPU acceleration. This research will utilize the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) in Hat Creek, California, along with various global telescopes, significantly advancing the SETI Institute's ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Dr. Perez expressed her enthusiasm for the fellowship, stating, "Working at the SETI Institute and contributing to the search for intelligent life has been a dream of mine since I was 15. I’m honored to be the first Welch Postdoctoral Fellow and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of what I believe is the coolest, most exciting endeavor in history!"

With an educational background that includes a B.A. in Astronomy from Cornell University and a PhD from Columbia University, Dr. Perez has actively contributed to the field of radio astronomy. Her previous work involved developing pulsar search pipelines and collaborating with the Breakthrough Listen project, earning her the SETI Institute’s 2020 SETI Forward Award.

Dr. Andrew Siemion, the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI at the SETI Institute, praised Dr. Perez’s accomplishments, stating, "Dr. Perez has already demonstrated tremendous accomplishment as an early career scientist. The combination of her tenacity and creativity, paired with the world-class resources available at the SETI Institute, sets the stage for some very exciting developments in the future."

Dr. Wael Farah, Project Scientist for the ATA, remarked on Dr. Perez’s potential, saying, "Karen brings a rare combination of technical fluency and scientific vision that is perfectly suited to the Allen Telescope Array. Her work will not only advance our ability to detect fast transients and technosignatures in real-time but also contribute to shaping the next generation of SETI instrumentation and data analysis."

The William J. Welch Postdoctoral Fellowship aims to support exceptional early-career scientists in the development of cutting-edge instrumentation to address fundamental questions in astronomy and astrophysics, focusing particularly on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The fellowship will accept applications annually, reinforcing the SETI Institute’s commitment to leading humanity's quest for understanding the origins and prevalence of life in the universe.

The SETI Institute, founded in 1984, is a non-profit organization dedicated to multi-disciplinary research and education in the fields of physical and biological sciences, leveraging advanced analytics, machine learning, and signal detection technologies. As a recognized research partner for various industry leaders, academia, and government agencies including NASA, the SETI Institute continues to play a pivotal role in the quest for knowledge about extraterrestrial life.