Hari Padma is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Case Western Reserve University, and the inaugural holder of the Frederick Reines endowed chair. His research is centered on light-matter interaction as a means to interrogate and control quantum materials. Prior to joining the faculty at Case in January 2026, Hari was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Physics at Harvard University, where he investigated strongly correlated materials using ultrafast terahertz and resonant x-ray spectroscopy. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Penn State University, studying topological materials using magneto-optical spectroscopy.