Dr. Alan Lightman, professor of the humanities at MIT, was the first professor at the school to receive a joint appointment in the sciences and the humanities. As a physicist, Dr. Lightman has made fundamental contributions to the theory of astrophysical processes under extreme temperatures and densities. In 2018, he authored two books: Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine and In Praise of Wasting Time. He is widely known as the author of the international bestseller Einstein's Dreams (1992) and for having founded the Harpswell Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide support to women leaders in Southeast Asia. In 2002, his novel The Diagnosis was a finalist for the National Book Award. Dr. Lightman is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.