Matthew Turk

Matthew Turk is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois' School of Information Sciences and holds a Research Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Astronomy. His work bridges computational astrophysics and data science, focusing on data analysis tools, human-computer interaction, and the social structures of scientific software communities.

• PhD in Physics from Stanford University (2009)
• Postdoctoral work at University of California, San Diego
• NSF Fellowship in Transformative Computational Science at Columbia University

Turk's research centers on data visualization, reproducibility in scientific workflows, and computational infrastructure for astrophysics. He has developed tools like yt, a widely-used astrophysical simulation analysis toolkit, and explores how researchers interact with data through software and visualization techniques.

His recent publications highlight trends in scientific software sustainability, machine learning applications in cosmology, and interdisciplinary data sonification. Turk's work demonstrates a consistent focus on integrating computational methods with human-centric approaches to scientific discovery.

• NSF Fellowship in Transformative Computational Science

Turk contributes to scientific education through courses like Data Visualization (IS445ACG) and Independent Study (IS589MJT). His involvement in grants and collaborative projects, including the yt toolkit development and the Data Storytelling Toolkit for Libraries (DSTL), showcases his commitment to expanding computational literacy across domains.