Parampreet Singh

 psingh[at]lsu.edu

Parampreet Singh

 psingh[at]lsu.edu

Ball Family Distinguished Professor of Physics at LSU. Researcher in quantum gravity, loop quantum cosmology, and black hole physics.

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© Parampreet Singh

Parampreet Singh

Ball Family Distinguished Professor of Physics

Department of Physics and Astronomy, LSU

Adjunct Faculty, Center for Computation and Technology, LSU

Research

Broadly I am interested in understanding the physical implications of the quantum gravitational nature of spacetime in cosmological and black hole settings. My research focuses on the fate of cosmological and black hole singularities, the physics of quantum gravity in the very early universe, and its potential signatures in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). I use a combination of analytical methods and high performance computing to address these questions.

One of the primary frameworks I use is loop quantum cosmology (LQC). Working with Abhay Ashtekar and Tomasz Pawlowski, I co-developed what is now known in the literature as the APS model. Its central result is that the big bang singularity is resolved by quantum geometry effects and is replaced by a big bounce, first obtained in 2005-06. The APS model has since become the standard framework of LQC: research groups around the world working on the big bounce in different spacetimes, including anisotropic models and models with inhomogeneities, either build directly on it or measure their results against it.

More recently, working with Abhay Ashtekar and Javier Olmedo, I co-developed what is known in the literature as the AOS model. It provides the first complete quantum gravitational description of a black hole, encompassing both its interior and exterior regions. It shows that the singularities lurking at the heart of black holes are not a fundamental feature of nature but an artifact of classical physics that quantum geometry naturally resolves, giving a consistent quantum extension of the full black hole spacetime free of limitations of all previous approaches. Building on this model, my recent research has explored physical implications of quantum corrections to black hole Love numbers.

My current research focuses on: How robust is the big bounce and the resulting physics? How do we obtain these results directly from loop quantum gravity? What are the unique phenomenological signatures of LQC and related models in CMB? How do we tackle foundational questions about the problem of time and the choice of clocks and what are their phenomenological implications? How do we extract consistent probabilities in closed systems such as our Universe? How does physics from quantum geometry alleviate problems of models of the very early universe including inflation and its alternatives? What are the implications of quantum geometry for black holes? How do we understand quantum gravity in terms of quantum complexity?

Selected Publications

As of Spring 2026, 114 peer-reviewed articles. Over 10,750 citations. H-index: 46. Authorship in this field is generally alphabetical. For a complete list please visit InspireHEP or Google Scholar links on this page.

Media Highlights

Selected media highlights featuring my research and academic leadership.

Awards

Leadership and Governance

Vice President, Faculty Senate, LSU (2024 – 2026) Met bi-weekly with the Provost and cabinet. Regular collaboration with the Office of Academic Affairs, Registrar, Disability Services, Enrollment Mangament, and Student Government to address various faculty and student concerns across the university.

Chair, Faculty Senate Generative AI Committee, LSU (2025 – 2026) Constituted and chaired a committee that drafted institutional guidelines on the use of Generative AI in curriculum and research. The guidelines were developed through consultation with the Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, LSU Online, Student Advocacy and Accountability, and Graduate Council, and endorsed by the Faculty Senate in December 2025. Guidelines available here

Chair, Faculty Senate Information Technology Committee, LSU (2023 – 2026) Constituted and chaired a committee that conducted a two-year line-by-line revision of LSU’s IT governance framework: 12 institutional policies and 55 standards in collaboration with university IT leadership, balancing institutional compliance requirements with academic freedom.

Secretary, Faculty Senate, LSU (2023 – 2024)

Vice-Chair, TRSL and Optional Retirement Plan Advisory Task Force, State of Louisiana (2024 – 2025) Constituted by House Resolution 169. Advocated for phased retirement options for faculty and staff. Presented testimony at the Louisiana House of Representatives (April 2025). Recommendations endorsed by Governor Landry via Act 47 (June 2025).

Member, Academics Task Force for LSU System Policy Realignment, LSU Transformation (2026) Working to realign academic policies across LSU campuses.

Member, Optional Retirement Plan Advisory Board, LSU System (2026 – present) Representative of all faculty from the LSU System on this board.

Member, Academic Policy Retreat, Office of the Senior Vice Provost, LSU (Spring 2026)

Member, Student Success Initiative, LSU (Spring 2025 - present)

Member, LSU IT Governance Council (2023 – present)

Member, Research Security Program Committee, Office of Research and Economic Development, LSU (2023 – present)

Member, Policy Committee, College of Science, LSU (2024 – present)

Chair, Graduate Curriculum Committee, Department of Physics and Astronomy, LSU (2023 – present)

Co-Chair, Saturday Science Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, LSU (2012 - 2023; 2025 - present) Public outreach program bringing science to K-12 students in the Baton Rouge community.

Editorial Service

Editor, International Journal of Modern Physics D (2010 – present)

Associate Editor, Universe (2021 – present)

Editor, Classical and Quantum Gravity (2012 – 2021)

Special Issues Edited

Conference Organization

Teaching

At LSU I have taught various courses at introductory, undergraduate, and graduate level. In 2023 I developed PHYS 2150: Honors Particle Mechanics for engineering students, to address a persistent bottleneck in the undergraduate curriculum with high DFW rates. This course had DFW rates dropped to nearly zero for five semesters when I taught it. I also developed a new graduate level course on AdS/CFT.

I have mentored thirteen undergraduate researchers, including REU stduents, several of whom co-authored published papers in Physical Review D.

At the Perimeter Institute Scholars International program I co-taught a cosmology course with Niayesh Afshordi and Hiranya Peiris, and an advanced course on cosmological perturbations with Neil Turok. I also taught a cosmology course at Penn State.

PhD Students

Current

Graduated

Postdocs

Undergrad Students

Links refer to co-authored published papers. Students were at LSU as under-graduate or REU students, unless otherwise noted.

Background

I was born in New Delhi, India where I completed my Bachelors and Masters in Physics from S. G. T. B. Khalsa College, University of Delhi. I did my PhD with Naresh Dadhich from Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) at Pune, India in 2004. I was then a postdoc at Penn State with Abhay Ashtekar and a Distinguished Postdoc Researcher at the Perimeter Institute. I joined LSU as an Assistant Professor in 2010, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2016, and to Full Professor in 2022. In 2026 I received the Ball Family Distinguished Professorship.

In my years at LSU I have found that I genuinely love building institutional structures and working collaboratively with faculty, administrators, and staff toward a stronger university. I served as Secretary and then Vice President of the Faculty Senate, and as Chair of the Faculty Senate Information Technology and Generative AI Committees. In these roles I have worked closely with the Provost, Deans, and university leadership on policies that serve the entire institution.

One more thing: IUCAA’s beautiful campus was also home to cobras, kraits, and vipers. When one appeared, colleagues called me. I like to think that catching snakes and doing quantum gravity require the same thing: patience, stillness, and not flinching at what others find frightening. That story is here.

Away from physics and administration, I am a Vipassana meditator. I have sat several prolonged silent retreats. Some questions are best approached in silence.