Charles Kankelborg

Charles Kankelborg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Montana State University's College of Letters & Science. He earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1996 and joined the MSU faculty in 2001 after working as a postdoc on the TRACE satellite program. His primary research focuses on solar physics, particularly the solar corona, transition region, and chromosphere.

His educational background includes a B.S. from University of Puget Sound (1989) and a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1996). His work has established him as a significant contributor to the field of solar physics and space instrumentation.

Dr. Kankelborg's research interests span solar corona dynamics, transition region physics, coronal heating mechanisms, force-free magnetic fields, ultraviolet optics, and space instrumentation development. He has made substantial contributions to the field through his work on the MOSES (Multi-Order Solar EUV Spectrograph) rocket payload, fluxon modeling of magnetic fields, 3D tomography of the solar corona using STEREO data, and techniques for coregistering images with optical distortion. His work bridges theoretical physics, computational methods, and practical instrumentation.

His recent publications (2020-2023) demonstrate a consistent focus on solar physics instrumentation and analysis techniques, particularly in EUV spectroscopy, tomographic reconstruction methods, and solar magnetic field modeling. His work often involves collaboration with NASA and other research institutions on space-based solar observation projects.

• Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation (2024)
• Outstanding Graduate Level Instructor (George Tuthill Award) (2022)
• RHG Exceptional Achievement for Science from NASA (2016)
• Outstanding Undergraduate Level Instructor (2015)
• Outstanding Faculty Colleague Award from MSU Physics (2012)

Dr. Kankelborg has successfully secured multiple research grants including ESIS-II from NASA, IRIS-MSU extended mission (2023-2027) from Lockheed Martin Corporation, and various MUSE Phase C/D projects. His teaching portfolio includes Physics 261 (Laboratory Electronics I), Physics 567 (Mathematical Physics II), and specialized seminars in heliophysics. He has been instrumental in involving undergraduate students in research through projects like the MOSES rocket mission, as documented in the film 'Rocket Scientists.'