As National Merit Scholar, Paul Mulvaney built the Michigan State University spectrohelioscope, and designed and built the first laser interferometer for gravitational-wave detection.

At Rhode Island University, Paul computed the first spherical solutions for, and build of, an astrolabe since antiquity. At NASA Ames Research Centre he designed buffer systems for, and operated the Kuiper Airborne Observatory infrared telescope, and was a member of the tiger team to design the Strato-spheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).

Paul holds a Masters in CompSCi from the University of Rhode Island. He coached a national championship debate team at Cranston East High School. He is also the author or three speculative fiction novels and an as-yet unpublished short-story collection. Paul underscored Brian Friel’s Translations US Premier at San Jose Rep. Theatre. His traditional folk music was mentioned in Time Magazine and Rolling Stone magazine.

Paul is also a trained midwife and medieval sword fighting instructor. He was a member of Clare Hall Music Committee for ten years, working as producer and events presenter. Paul designed, developed and operated a livestream recording and broadcast system for Clare Hall during the Covid-19 pandemic while in-concert
audiences were prohibited, presenting to a record number of attendees.