Department of Astronomy

Congratulations to Astronomy Professor John Salzer, who has been named a 2022 Provost Professor by the campus.  Salzer has been a member of the department since 2007.

Salzer’s research focuses in extragalactic astronomy, specifically in the discovery and subsequent detailed study of galaxies actively forming stars, the measurement of the chemical abundances in galaxies, and the evolution of the stellar populations in galaxies.   He is recognized nationally and internationally for his fundamental contributions to the study of emission-line galaxies.  His research has largely been driven through leadership in large-area surveys to detect emission-line galaxies and to follow up discoveries made in these surveys.  Salzer has also made significant contributions to the study of dwarf galaxies, particularly extremely low-mass dwarf galaxies dominated by hydrogen gas and containing very few stars.  He has published more than 150 research papers in high-impact, refereed journals; more than a third of his papers are highly cited in the research literature, totaling nearly 8000 citations.  Five of his papers that have been cited more than 200 times.

In his teaching, Salzer strives to connect his own research to course material to assist students to understand how observation and theory are used in astronomy to understand the origin and evolution of stars, galaxies, and the universe as a whole.  Examples from his research provide context – how do emission lines from gas tell us about temperature and density, how can we interpret a spectral energy distribution, what causes the specific physical conditions of interstellar gas to be what they are, and how do stars and gas interact in a galaxy?  Salzer’s research uses these same tools to understand and interpret star formation in galaxies and his research provides examples to illustrate the physical principles.  Salzer especially shines is in his mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students.  He regularly mentors 3-4 undergraduates carrying out research projects, and many of his papers include undergraduate student authors, even as lead author

In addition to his research and teaching, Professor Salzer has served on the Board of Directors of the WIYN Observatory for more than a dozen years, serving as President of the Board from 2011-2015, and currently serving as Treasurer.  The WIYN Observatory Corporation operates a 3.5 meter telescope in Arizona.  Other partners include the University of Wisconsin and the NSF’s National Optical Infra-Red Laboratory in Tucson, among other institutions.