Edmund Bertschinger

Professor of Physics,Emeritus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

FAQ for High School Students

Note to students: I am no longer supervising research nor taking interns.

Teaching Schedule
Spring, 2026: General Relativity
Fall, 2025: Teaching and Mentoring MIT Students
Spring, 2025: Teaching and Mentoring MIT Students
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, 2018-2026
Institute Community and Equity Officer, 2013-2018
Head, MIT Department of Physics, 2007-2013
Astrophysics Division Head, MIT, 2002-2007
Professor of Physics, MIT, 1996-2026
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 July 3, 2026
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