Edmund Bertschinger

Department of Physics
MIT, McNair 37-627
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
+1 (617) 324-7319 (office)
email: edbert (at) mit.edu
Physics@MIT Website
Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
Program in Women's and Gender Studies

Professor of Physics,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

FAQ for High School Students


Note to students: I seek undergraduate research students currently at MIT with a strong interest in equity, diversity, and inclusion, for research projects in social science. Currently I am not seeking summer interns or graduate students.


Current projects (Summer, 2020)

APS-IDEA Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance
8.02 Online Mentoring Program Assessment
Researching how some STEM departments excel at diversity, equity, and inclusion (extension of a Spring, 2019 talk).

General Information

Research Interests: My research group's mission is to develop and apply analytical, computational, and statistical methods to improve our understanding of the physical universe.
Theoretical astrophysics: gravitation, cosmology, chaotic dynamics

Teaching Interests: My teaching mission is to inspire and prepare students and researchers for lifelong learning about the physical world.
Classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, relativity, cosmology, astrophysics

Equity and Inclusion Interests: My passion lies in shifting the culture of STEM fields to be inclusive and equitable for everyone. I was MIT's inaugural Institute Community and Equity Officer. For more information, see my DEI Writing and Speaking.

Teaching Schedule
Fall, 2024: WGS.160 Science Activism: Gender, Race, and Power and Teaching and Mentoring MIT Students
Spring, 2024: Physics Mentor Program and Teaching and Mentoring MIT Students
Fall, 2023: WGS.160 Science Activism: Gender, Race, and Power and Teaching and Mentoring MIT Students
Spring, 2023: Physics Mentor Program and Teaching and Mentoring MIT Students
Fall, 2022: WGS.160 Science Activism: Gender, Race, and Power and Teaching and Mentoring MIT Students
Spring, 2022: Physics Mentor Program
Fall, 2021: WGS.160 Science Activism: Gender, Race, and Power and Physics Mentor Program
Spring, 2021: Physics Mentor Program
Fall, 2020: WGS.160 Science Activism: Gender, Race, and Power and Physics Mentor Program
Spring, 2020: 8.02 Electricity and Magnetism and Physics Mentor Program
Fall, 2019: 8.01 Mechanics and WGS.160 Science Activism: Gender, Race, and Power
Fall, 2018 through Spring, 2019: Sabbatical
Spring, 2009: Exploring Black Holes
Spring, 2008 through Spring, 2018: Teaching release for administrative duties
Fall, 2007: Sabbatical
Spring, 2007: Exploring Black Holes
Fall, 2006: The Cosmic Microwave Background and Astrophysics Seminar
Spring, 2006: General Relativity
Fall, 2005: Electromagnetism II
Spring, 2005: Exploring Black Holes and Astrophysics Seminar
Fall, 2004: Electromagnetism II and Astrophysics Seminar
Spring, 2004: General Relativity and Astrophysics Seminar
Fall, 2003: Electromagnetism II
Spring, 2003: Exploring Black Holes and Astrophysics Seminar
Fall, 2002: Relativity and Astronomical Instrumentation
Spring, 2002: General Relativity
Fall, 2001: Exploring Black Holes and Cosmology
Fall, 2000 through Spring, 2001: Sabbatical
Spring, 2000: General Relativity
Fall, 1999: Cosmology
Spring, 1999: General Relativity
Fall, 1998: Classical Mechanics and Special Relativity
Spring, 1998: Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism

Summers 1998-2009: RSI student supervision

Education
PhD Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 1984
BS Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1979

Positions Held
Affiliated Faculty, MIT Program in Women's and Gender Studies, 2018-
Institute Community and Equity Officer, 2013-2018
Head, MIT Department of Physics, 2007-2013
Astrophysics Division Head, MIT, 2002-2007
Professor of Physics, MIT, 1996-present
Associate Professor of Physics, MIT, 1991-1996
Assistant Professor of Physics, MIT, 1986-1991
Miller Research Fellow, UC Berkeley, 1985-1986
Research Associate, University of Virginia, 1983-1985
For more information, see my cv.


Software: Grafic-2 and COSMICS (includes Grafic-1) (gzipped tar files)
General relativity notes
Publications (for most up-to-date listing, see my cv)
Where are my PhD students now?


Birth
1958, Oakland, California

Personal interests
Music of all kinds, birdwatching, cooking, wine


Last revised May 23, 2024
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