Johnny Powell

Johnny Powell is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Reed College, with a focus on astrophysics and computational physics. He leads research projects involving N-body simulations of galactic dynamics, supernovae explosions, and cosmological studies through the AGORA project. His work bridges theoretical astrophysics and experimental biophysics, with publications on DNA hydration, spectroscopy, and molecular biophysics.

• Primary affiliation: Reed College Physics Department
• Key research areas: Galactic dynamics, N-body simulations, DNA hydration, Raman/FTIR spectroscopy

Professor Powell mentors thesis students in astrophysics, including work on barred galaxies, galactic bars, and cosmological simulations. His recent projects involve collaborations with institutions like the Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research and Arizona State University's Lindsay Laboratory.

Scientific grants include National Science Foundation (NSF) XSEDE awards for computational resources to study galactic bar simulations and cosmological zoom-in projects. His interdisciplinary research spans astrophysics and biophysics, with publications in journals like Biochemistry, Nucleic Acids Research, and Physical Review E.

• NSF Grant TG-AST150068: N-body simulations of galactic bars (50,000 SUs, 500GB)
• NSF Grant TG-AST150068: Buckling instability in galactic bars (25,000 SUs, 500GB)

Outside academia, Powell is an avid birdwatcher with extensive field experience in Oregon, Brazil, Peru, and other global locations. He served on the Board of Directors of the Audubon Society of Portland (1998–2002) and has contributed to ornithological data via eBird. His educational collaborations include work with Stuart Lindsay at Arizona State University and Ludwig Genzel at the Max-Planck Institute.