Philip F. Hopkins

Philip F. Hopkins is the Ira S. Bowen Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), part of the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy. He holds a B.A. from Princeton University (2004), M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University (2005–2008). His academic career at Caltech includes roles as Assistant Professor (2013–2016), Associate Professor (2016–2017), Professor (2017–2022), and Ira S. Bowen Professor since 2022. He served as Executive Officer (Head) of the Division from 2019–2022.

Research interests focus on theoretical astrophysics, including galaxy formation, cosmology, and the interstellar medium. He teaches advanced courses such as Astrophysics 124 (Structure and Evolution of Galaxies) and 127 (Astrophysical Cosmology), and co-leads Computational Astrophysics (Astrophysics 190). His work integrates numerical simulations and observational data to explore large-scale cosmic structures.

Affiliations include the Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics (WBITP) and Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC). He contributes to observational facilities like Palomar Observatory and Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO).