About
Milky Way over Cerro Paranal, © ESO
I am a Distinguished Professor of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where I founded and currently direct the Center for Space Technology & Operations Research (CSTOR).
My research applies modern data science and machine learning to large astronomical datasets — including Gaia, Rubin/LSST, DES, and DESI — to trace stellar systems as probes of galactic formation and evolution. I mentor undergraduate and graduate students in astronomy research and teach modern physics at UTSA, introducing students to relativity and quantum physics. I am also affiliated with the UTSA Center for Data Science. My current work builds on a career spanning leadership of major international observatories and programs, including eleven years as Director of the NSF's National Optical Astronomy Observatory (2008–2019) and five years as Dean of UTSA's College of Sciences (2019–2024).