Ian Roederer

Ian Roederer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at North Carolina State University (NC State), joining in 2023. He holds a BS in Physics and Astronomy from Indiana University (2005), followed by an MA (2007) and PhD (2010) in Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to NC State, he was a Carnegie Fellow at the Carnegie Observatories (2010–2013) and a research professor at the University of Michigan (2013–2023).

His research focuses on nuclear astrophysics and near-field cosmology, using stellar chemistry to study the Milky Way's formation and the origins of heavy elements via the r-process. Key contributions include discovering fission products of elements beyond uranium in stars, identifying r-process-enhanced galaxies, and analyzing stellar kinematics to trace galactic accretion history. He leads the R-Process Alliance and collaborates on major instruments like ANDES for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).

His teaching includes courses like Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Stellar and Galactic Astronomy at NC State. He advocates for advanced spectroscopic missions, including UV space telescopes and the US-ELT Program. Notable achievements include first detections of elements like gallium and tungsten in stars and developing abundance derivation standards for metal-poor stars.