CESR Talk-Making the Most of Sabbatical Extragalactic Astrophysics within Constrained Academic Environments
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
2:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Zoom
Join Us for a lecture event hosted by CESR!
About the talk:
Dr. Michael Rutkowski, Associate Professor at CSET Physics and Astronomy is finishing his sabbatical and will present results on research and curriculum design. In this lecture, he will discuss results from onsite research conducted whilst a visiting research scholar at 1) Arizona State University using the James Webb Space Telescope; 2) CU-Boulder working on MNSU’s first spacecraft, 3) PUCV in Valparaiso Chile using ground-based imaging to advance on Lyman continuum escape and early-type galaxy evolution science with US and European observatories; 4) at IUCAA in Pune India using the Indian AstroSat observatory. In addition, he will discuss efforts to develop computational tools and new infrastructure to support MNSU curriculum and course offerings that were developed in partnership on site with the University of San Carlos, Mindanao State University, the Central Visaya Institute Senior High School, and the Philippine Space Agency.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Michael Rutkowski received his B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Hampden Sydney College, and subsequently his M.S. and PhD in Astrophysics from Arizona State University. Upon graduation, he moved to Minneapolis for 3 years as a post-doctoral research assistantship at the University of Minnesota, and then on to Stockholm University in a second post-doctoral positions. In 2018, he moved back to Minnesota to begin an Assistant Professorship at Minnesota State University. He earned promotion and tenure in 2023, and is currently wrapping up his first sabbatical, during which he has enjoyed status as a guest researcher at institutions in India, Chile, Philippines and the US. Michael is an expert in the application of ultraviolet data to diverse problems in the astrophysics of galaxy formation and evolution. He is an active user of the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, as well as the Indian Astrosat, serves on Euclid NASA Science Users Panel, and regularly supports agencies like NASA and NSF in identifying new pathways for research. He is the former chair of the American Astronomical Sustainability Committee, and active with a number of professional academic societies around the world including the IAU and SACNAS. In his classroom, he enjoys developing courses that can expose students of all interests and abilities to astronomy and astrophysics, from indigenous and modern astronomy courses in the US Southwest and South to machine learning applications.
