Filomena Nunes

Filomena Nunes is a Professor of Physics at Michigan State University's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), where she has been a member since 2003. Her career bridges theoretical nuclear physics and STEM education initiatives, particularly through her course "Tools for Women in STEM" designed to empower underrepresented groups.

• Education: B.S. in Engineering Physics from Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon, 1992), Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from University of Surrey (England, 1995)

Her research focuses on nuclear reactions of unstable nuclei, connecting these to astrophysics and developing Bayesian statistical frameworks for uncertainty quantification in nuclear modeling. She emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration between theory, experiment, and data science.

Notable trends in her publications include:

• Advancements in computational nuclear physics
• Integration of machine learning and emulators for reaction modeling
• Methodological developments for experimental design
• Theoretical foundations for rare isotope studies
• Applications to stellar nucleosynthesis
• Analysis of spectroscopic quenching effects

Award highlights:

• APS Fellow (American Physical Society)
• AAAS Fellow (American Association for the Advancement of Science)

As a mentor, Dr. Nunes actively supervises graduate researchers while advocating for inclusive scientific environments through her public writing and outreach. Her work receives funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), with a focus on nuclear theory and its astrophysical applications.