Department Contact Information

Physics Department

Location: 180-204
Phone: (805) 756-2448
Fax: (805) 756-2435
Email: physics@calpoly.edu
Chair: Jennifer Klay

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Astronomy and Astrophysics

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Astronomy & Astrophysics


Astronomy Minor

Cal Poly Physics offers a minor program in astronomy for interested students. For more information, see this page.

Astronomy Research

Several of our faculty actively pursue research in astronomy and astrophysics (see list below). For more information, please visit the webpages of individual faculty and contact them directly.

Astronomical Society

The Cal Poly Astronomical Society is an on-campus student club, offering various social and leisure activities on and off campus related to astronomy. During the academic year, the club meets every other week. Anyone is welcome, regardless of their major. For more information, please contact Madeline Xiong, the Club President, via email at mvxiong@calpoly.eduDr. Louise Edwards is the current Faculty Advisor.

Cal Poly Observatory

Open for viewing to all Cal Poly students at certain days/times of the week (weather permitting). Please check this webpage https://sites.google.com/view/calpolyobservatory/home for more information (schedule, if it will be open, directions and what to bring). Space is limited to 20 students (first come, first serve); however, students who are visiting the observatory to fulfill a requirement of an astronomy class will have priority.

Learning Assistants in GE Astronomy

Some of the GE Astronomy classes (ASTR101, ASTR102) involve Learning Assistants (LAs). LAs are undergraduate students who assist the instructor in implementing student-centered class activities. They have taken the class previously and receive special concurrent preparation, both on content, as well as on effective STEM pedagogy. The LAs will be paid for their work with their peers. In particular, they help to answer student questions by facilitating student discussions. The instructors will meet with LAs on a weekly basis to discuss the course learning objectives, typical student difficulties, issues in facilitating student learning and to make sure they are well prepared to engage in peer-assisted learning. LAs will not only gain a much deeper understanding of the content, but also significant experience in teaching in a college classroom, particularly useful for those who are interested to explore teaching as a vocation. See here for more information (https://physics.calpoly.edu/learning-assistants).

 

Vardha N. Bennert

Professor

Email: vbennert@calpoly.edu
Office: 180-622
Phone: 805.756.7317

 

Research Interests

Astrophysics
Observational Astronomy
Active Galactic Nuclei
Black Hole Mass Scaling Relations and Their Evolution
Galaxy Interactions and Mergers

Jodi Christiansen

Jodi Christiansen

Professor

Email: jlchrist@calpoly.edu
Office: 180-617
Phone: 805.756.2778

Research Interests

Astroparticle Physics
High-Energy Emission Mechanisms of Active Galactic Nuclei
Cosmology

Jodi Christiansen

Taha Dawoodbhoy

Lecturer

Email: tdawoodb@calpoly.edu
Office: 180-111
Phone: 805.756.0680

 

Research Interests

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics and the Measurement Problem
The Nature of Dark Matter
Galaxy and Large-Scale Structure Formation
Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

Robert Echols

Robert Echols

Professor

Email: rechols@calpoly.edu
Office: 180-606
Phone: 805.756.7649

Research Interests

Cosmic Evolution
Quantum gravity applied to the early Universe and Black Holes

Sean Echols

Sean Echols

Senior Lecturer

Email: sechols@calpoly.edu
Office: 25-200
Phone: 805.756.1692

 

Research Interests

Shape Dynamics
N-body Gravitation and Orbits
Cosmological Entropy and the Arrow of Time
Black Hole Theory and Thermodynamics
Quantum Gravity

 
Louise Edwards

Louise Edwards

Associate Professor

Email: ledwar04@calpoly.edu
Office: 180-619
Phone: 805.756.7674

 

Research Interests

The formation and Evolution of Brightest Cluster Galaxies
Galaxies in Cluster Cores and in Filaments

Scott Fraser

Scott Fraser

Senior Lecturer

Email: scfraser@calpoly.edu
Office: 25-206
Phone: 805.756.2800

 

Research Interests

General Relativity
Black Holes
Extra Dimensions
Astrophysics

Elizabeth Jeffery

Elizabeth Jeffery

Assistant Professor

Email: ejjeffer@calpoly.edu
Office: 180-604
Phone: 805.756.2019

Research Interests

White Dwarf stars

 
David Mitchell

David Mitchell

Professor

Email: dsmitche@calpoly.edu
Office: 180-614
Phone: 805.756.5290

 

 

Research Interests

Observational Astronomy: Extrasolar Planets

Benjamin Shlaer

Lecturer

Email:  bshlaer@calpoly.edu
Office: 180-111
Phone: 805.756.1663

 

Research Interests

Early universe cosmology
The measure problem of eternal inflation
The problem of time in quantum gravity
Cosmic strings
Dark energy

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