---
title: UMD Astrophysicist Elected to National Academy of Sciences
date: 2025-05-27T14:27:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/umd-astrophysicist-elected-to-national-academy-of-sciences"
section: Articles
---
# UMD Astrophysicist Elected to National Academy of Sciences

*May 27, 2025* — by [Georgia Jiang](/author/georgia-jiang)


> Brenda Dingus Recognized for Transformative Contributions to Cosmic Ray Research

*Image1 web — Brenda Dingus, elected as a new member of the National Academy of Sciences, poses at one of her projects—the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory in Mexico, which has identified more than 100 gamma-ray sources.*

University of Maryland visiting research scientist and alum Brenda Dingus M.S. ’86, Ph.D. ’88 has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for her pioneering work in gamma-ray astrophysics.

Dingus is one of 120 members and 30 international members [elected by their peers in 2025](https://www.nasonline.org/news/2025-nas-election/), joining a select group of 2,662 scientists around the country recognized for their influential research. She’s one of 26 current UMD faculty members in the National Academy of Sciences and is among nearly 80 named to various esteemed honorary academies.


*Brenda Dingus headshot — Photo courtesy of Los Alamos National Laboratory*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Alumni](https://today.umd.edu/topic/alumni), [Physics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/physics), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-computer-mathematical-and-natural-sciences)