Cailin Plunkett

About

I'm a third-year Physics Ph.D. candidate at MIT studying gravitational-wave astrophysics with Salvatore Vitale. I'm exploring black hole populations and binary star evolution with current and next-generation gravitational-wave detectors.

I grew up in Oakland, CA and majored in Mathematics and Physics at Amherst College, where I graduated summa cum laude in 2023.

View my full CV (updated Feb. 2026).

Outside the Office

I was raised hiking, biking, and skiing the mountains of California. I love (and miss) the Sierra Nevadas and return for adventures whenever possible. Recently found on mountaintops in California, New Hampshire, and Colorado.

Mediocre gymnast, cyclist, and runner. Top-notch enjoyer of time with friends and time outside.

I'm your 2025 MIT Kavli Institute Holiday Bake-off Supreme Grand Champion. My heart lies with cookies.

I recently knit the Rumble Raglan by Lydia Morrow. I rarely go anywhere without my Kindle.

Half Dome
Descending Half Dome
Rae Lakes
Hiking into Rae Lakes
Lake Tahoe
Winter happy place
Mango
Mango, the world's most glorious cat
Bake-off cake
Bake-off cake (December 2025)
Cookies
My alternate calling