Christopher West

Christopher West is a visiting assistant professor who joined the Macalester Physics and Astronomy department in Fall 2021.  He received his PhD in physics from the University of Minnesota.  His research focuses on astrophysical nucleosynthetic processes and environments, stellar evolution, galactic chemical evolution, and (to a lesser extent) quantum mechanics. He pairs theoretical models with computational simulations to better understand how the Universe made all 287 stable isotopes beginning from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. He has a passion for teaching, particularly with advancing student outcomes in underrepresented populations.