Chris West

Education & Professional History

Christopher West is a visiting assistant professor who joined the Carleton Physics and Astronomy department in Fall 2023.  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.

Organizations & Scholarly Affiliations

Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, American Physical Society, American Association of Physics Teachers