Enrique Lopez Rodriguez

Enrique Lopez Rodriguez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of South Carolina, affiliated with the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in extragalactic magnetism and active galactic nuclei, focusing on the role of magnetic fields in galaxy evolution and AGN dynamics. His research uses advanced infrared and radio polarimetric observations from instruments like SOFIA/HAWC+, ALMA, and MMT-Pol.

Education: Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Florida (2013), Master's in Astrophysics, and Licenciatura in Physics from the University of La Laguna, Spain. Prior to USC, he held roles including Assistant Research Professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and postdoctoral positions in the U.S. and abroad.

Research emphasizes magnetic fields in starburst galaxies, AGN torus structure, and the impact of cosmic rays. He leads the SALSA Legacy Program (SOFIA), exploring magnetic fields in the interstellar medium. Key projects include contributions to the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) science cases and instrument development for future telescopes.

Advising & Grants: Leads the SALSA program and collaborates on TMT initiatives. His work is supported by grants focusing on polarimetric instrumentation and extragalactic magnetism studies. He advocates for underrepresented students, fostering an inclusive academic environment.

Labs/Teams: Extragalactic Magnetism Group and instrumental collaborations (e.g., HAWC+, MMT-Pol). Media highlights include NASA press releases and astronomy outreach features.