Rodrigo Fernandez Munoz

Rodrigo Fernandez Munoz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Alberta. His research expertise lies in Theoretical & Computational Astrophysics and Transients & Compact Objects, focusing on understanding astrophysical phenomena through advanced modeling and analysis. He has held previous academic positions, including Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Study (2009-2013) and UC Berkeley (2013-2016), before joining the University of Alberta as an Assistant Professor in 2016, where he was promoted to his current rank in 2022.

Education:

• BSc in Physics, Pontificia Universidad Católica (Chile), 1999-2003
• PhD in Physics, University of Toronto (Canada), 2004-2009

Teaching: In Winter Term 2026, he teaches three courses:

• ASTRO 122 - Astronomy of Stars and Galaxies: Explores stellar evolution and cosmology, with campus observatory viewing experiences.
• PHYS 230 - Electricity and Magnetism: Covers electric and magnetic fields, Gauss' Law, and circuit theory, primarily for Engineering students.
• PHYS 281 - Electricity and Magnetism: A more advanced treatment including Maxwell's equations and electromagnetic waves, with corequisites in higher-level mathematics.

Research: His work integrates computational methods with theoretical astrophysics to study compact objects like black holes and neutron stars, as well as transient astronomical events. A research portal is available at https://sites.ualberta.ca/~rafernan/.

Advising & Grants: No formal advisees or grant details are listed in the provided texts. His current teaching and research roles suggest active involvement in academic mentorship and potential funding activities, though specifics are not documented here.