Current Faculty

Douglas C. Leonard, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Outreach and Media Representative
dleonard@sdsu.edu | Phone: 619-594-2215 | Office: P-238

Research Interests:
Supernova explosion geometry and physics as revealed through spectropolarimetry; supernova progenitor stars

Jerome Orosz, Ph.D.

Professor, Undergraduate and Graduate Advisor (he/him/his)
jorosz@sdsu.edu | Phone: 619-594-7118 | Office: P-241

Research Interests:
Binary stars, stellar mass black holes, transiting exoplanets

Robert Quimby, Ph.D.

Professor, MLO Director
On sabbatical leave, Fall 2021
rquimby@sdsu.edu | Phone: 619-594-1013 | Office: P-233

Research Interests:
Observational cosmology, supernovae, astronomical transients.

Dr. Quimby’s Personal Website

Kate H. R. Rubin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor (she/her)
krubin@sdsu.edu | Phone: 619-594-2623 | Office: P-237

Research Interests:
Extragalactic astronomy, galaxy formation and evolution, galactic winds and feedback, the circumgalactic medium, QSO absorption line spectroscopy

Dr. Rubin’s Personal Website

Eric Sandquist, Ph.D.

Professor, Department Chair (he/him/his)
esandquist@sdsu.edu | Phone: 619-594-2694 | Office: P-134

Research Interests:
Stellar evolution, theoretical astrophysics, galactic star clusters, blue straggler stars, stellar collisions

Dr. Sandquist’s Personal Website

William F. Welsh, Ph.D.

Professor, Lab Coordinator (he/him/his)
Interim Mt. Laguna Observatory Director, Fall 2021
wwelsh@sdsu.edu | Phone: 619-594-2288 | Office: P-235

Research Interests:
Interacting binary stars, extrasolar planets, time series analysis, transiting exoplanets, accretion-powered systems: AGN, CVs and X-ray binaries

Dr. Welsh’s Personal Website

John “Chuck” Horst, M.S.

Adjunct Professor
jhorst@sdsu.edu | Phone: 619-594-1405 | Office: PA-123

Research Interests:
Extragalactic astronomy, supernovae, galaxy formation, information technology

Sumangala Rao Sudhakar, Ph.D. M.Sc.

Lecturer, Adjunct Professor at Southwestern College
sraosudhakar@sdsu.edu | Office: PA-220

Teaching Interests:
Solar system astronomy, exoplanets, stellar evolution

Gur Windmiller, M.S.

Lecturer, Adjunct Faculty at Grossmont College
gwindmiller@sdsu.edu | Office: PA-220

Research Interests:
Binary and hierarchical star systems, planet detection, circumbinary planets, isochrones

Andrew T. Young, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor
Phone: 619-594-5817 | Office: PA-219

Research Interests:
Astronomical photometry, atmospheric physics

Personal Website