Modern Astronomy: Big Questions and Latest Discoveries

Adam Frank is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Rochester and a well-known science writer. He co-founded NPR's 13.7 Cosmos and Culture Blog and provides regular on-air commentaries for All Things Considered. With two published books on science culture, including one from Simon & Schuster, he effectively communicates complex scientific concepts to the public. Professor Frank earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Washington in 1992 and has held postdoctoral positions at Leiden University and the University of Minnesota. He was awarded a Hubble Fellowship in 1995 and joined the University of Rochester in 1996, where he became a full professor in 2004. His research primarily focuses on Theoretical Astrophysics, specifically the hydrodynamic and magneto-hydrodynamic evolution of matter ejected from stars. Current topics of investigation include jets from Young Stellar Objects and bipolar outflows from evolved stars, utilizing large-scale numerical simulations. He also contributes to the Department's Plasma Physics program, collaborating on plasma astrophysical research. An active participant in science outreach, Frank has written for Discover and Astronomy magazines and received the science-writing prize from the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society in 1999.