David Rupke

I started out as a physics major at a liberal arts college not too different from Rhodes! But my eyes were drawn to the heavens by the current golden age of astronomical discovery. I teach a range of astronomy and physics courses to both majors and non-majors. In my research lab students use imaging spectroscopy from some of the largest ground-based telescopes in the world (like the W.M. Keck Observatory) and from space-based telescopes (like the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope) to probe galaxy evolution. Students who work in my lab learn science and software skills to prepare them for a wide variety of careers, including (but certainly not limited to) astronomy.

Information about my research:

• NASA press release on our James Webb Space Telescope program, from 2020
• Article on Makani in The Conversation, from 2019
• Keck Observatory press release on Makani, from 2019
• Gemini Observatory press release, from 2011

Videos about my research:

• On Makani
• 3D rendering of Makani
• Rhodes students talking about their astronomy research
• On undergraduate research at Rhodes

Find a list of my publications at the Astrophysics Data System (ADS)