Summer Speaker—Fundamental Forces of the Universe with Dr. Fredric Messing The quest to understand the fundamental forces of the universe spanned four centuries involving a surprising cast of characters and a series of serendipitous coincidences and brilliant insights. Dr. Fredric Messing is a former Associate Professor of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Messing serves as a congregational gabbai, reads Torah, leads services, and has pursued extensive independent study in Jewish text.