Avi Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and served as head of Harvard’s astronomy department until 2020, has been appointed to lead a White House panel studying UFOs. WASHINGTON (AP) — A polarizing Harvard astronomer known for splashy theories about alien visits has been tapped by the White House to lead a team of outside scientists to study the national security risks posed by UFOs . Avi Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and served as head of Harvard’s astronomy department