Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Adam G. Riess

Adam G. Riess

Keynote Speaker: Nobel Prize-Winning Astrophysicist

  • Travels From:
  • Speaking Fee:
    Live Event Fee: $20,000 - $30,000
    Virtual Event Fee: Below $10,000
    More Fee Info
  • Categories:

Adam G. Riess Biography

Adam Guy Riess is an American astrophysicist at The Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute and is known for his research in using supernovae as cosmological probes. Riess shared both the 2006 Shaw Prize in Astronomy and the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics with Saul Perlmutter and Brian P. Schmidt for providing evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.Riess was a Miller Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley before moving on to the Space Telescope Science Institute in 1999. He took up his current position at Johns Hopkins University in 2005.

Riess jointly led the study with Brian Schmidt in 1998 for the High-Z Supernova Search Team which first reported evidence that the Universe's expansion rate is now accelerating though monitoring of Type 1a Supernova. The team's observations were contrary to the current theory that the expansion of the universe was slowing down; instead, by monitoring the color shifts in the light from the supernova from Earth, they discovered that these billion-year old nova were still accelerating. This result was also found nearly simultaneously by the Supernova Cosmology Project, led by Saul Perlmutter. The corroborating evidence between the two competing studies led to the acceptance of the accelerating universe theory, and initiated new research to understand the nature of the universe, such as the existence of dark matter. The discovery of the accelerating universe was named 'Breakthrough of the Year' by Science Magazine in 1998, and Riess was jointly awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics along with Schmidt and Perlmutter for their groundbreaking work.

Riess leads the Higher-Z SN Search program which uses the Hubble Space Telescope to discover the most distant supernovae yet uncovered by humankind. His team has traced the Universe's expansion back more than 10 billion light years. The key finding has been the detection of an early phase of decelerating expansion causing the most distant supernovae to look relatively brighter and thus disfavoring significant astrophysical dimming of supernovae. This result thus confirms the dark energy-dark matter model as perceived from supernovae.

Saul Perlmutter, Riess, and Brian P. Schmidt being awarded the 2006 Shaw Prize in Astronomy. The trio would later be awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Riess received the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Trumpler Award in 1999 and Harvard University's Bok Prize in 2001. He won the American Astronomical Society's Helen B. Warner Prize in 2003 and the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in 2004 for the discovery of cosmic acceleration. In 2006, he shared the $1 million Shaw Prize in Astronomy with Saul Perlmutter and Brian P. Schmidt for contributions to the discovery of the acceleration of the universe.

Schmidt and all the members of the High-Z Team shared the 2007 Gruber Cosmology Prize, a $500,000 award, with the Supernova Cosmology Project (the set defined by the co-authors of Perlmutter et al. 1999) for their discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe. Riess was the winner of MacArthur "Genius" Grant in 2008. He was also elected in 2009 to the National Academy of Sciences. Along with Perlmutter and Schmidt, he was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the discovery of the acceleration of the expansion of the universe.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Adam G. Riess and other top speakers and celebrities.

Adam G. Riess Speaking Topics

Supernovae and the Discovery of the Accelerating Universe

In 1929 Edwin Hubble discovered that our Universe is expanding. Eighty years later, the Space Telescope which bears his name is being used to study an even more surprising phenomenon, that the expansion is speeding up. The origin of this effect is not known, but is broadly attributed to a type of "dark energy" first posited to exist by Albert Einstein and now dominating the mass-energy budget of the Universe. I will describe how our team discovered the acceleration of the Universe and why understanding the nature of dark energy presents one of the greatest remaining challenges in astrophysics and cosmology.

Adam G. Riess Videos

The Dark Universe - with Adam Riess
Nobel Prize winning astrophysicist Adam Riess discusses supernovae
Adam Riess Talks About Planetary Transits at Johns Hopkins ...

How do I book Adam G. Riess to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Adam G. Riess for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Adam G. Riess, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Adam G. Riess or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Adam G. Riess for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Adam G. Riess, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Adam G. Riess are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Adam G. Riess, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Adam G. Riess speak about?

Adam G. Riess is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Physics, Science, Technology and Space.

Where does Adam G. Riess travel from?

Adam G. Riess generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Adam G. Riess?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Adam G. Riess for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Adam G. Riess for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Adam G. Riess or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Adam G. Riess is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Physics, Science and Technology. The estimated speaking fee range to book Adam G. Riess for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Adam G. Riess generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are George Smoot, Risa Wechsler and Mark Lynas. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Adam G. Riess for an upcoming event.

Adam G. Riess Speaking Topics

  • Supernovae and the Discovery of the Accelerating Universe

    In 1929 Edwin Hubble discovered that our Universe is expanding. Eighty years later, the Space Telescope which bears his name is being used to study an even more surprising phenomenon, that the expansion is speeding up. The origin of this effect is not known, but is broadly attributed to a type of "dark energy" first posited to exist by Albert Einstein and now dominating the mass-energy budget of the Universe. I will describe how our team discovered the acceleration of the Universe and why understanding the nature of dark energy presents one of the greatest remaining challenges in astrophysics and cosmology.

Adam G. Riess Videos

The Dark Universe - with Adam Riess
Nobel Prize winning astrophysicist Adam Riess discusses supernovae
Adam Riess Talks About Planetary Transits at Johns Hopkins ...

Adam G. Riess Reviews

  • Sarah was great to work with for the first links for the contract, and once passed on to Edie, the same great service continued. Definitely easy to work with both. When came the time to talk to Adam, he was very easy to talk to and understand his demands (a/v wise). At the conference, Adam was VERY patient with the technical difficulties we had. It was very appreciated and definitely will be recommending him and your company to others. Thank you once again.
    University of Ottawa - Mar 31 2017

BOOKING INFORMATION REQUEST
ADAM G. RIESS

We are happy to assist you with your interest in booking a speaker or celebrity for your event, your organization, and the type of talent you would like to secure, and an agent will be in touch shortly.

Fill out the form below to or call us at 1-800-698-2536 if need immediate assistance.

Tell us about your event!

We respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. Under special circumstances, it may take up to 24 hours.


This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.