Ronald Alexander Lopez

Ronald Alexander Lopez is a Research Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). As an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow, his work focuses on astronomical instrumentation, particularly in the discovery and characterization of directly imaged exoplanets and debris disks.

• Education: Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2023) from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Current research includes developing an MKID high-resolution multi-object spectrograph testbed for exoplanet characterization and contributing to the commissioning plan and testing for the updated polarimetry mode on the GPI 2.0 instrument. His work bridges infrared instrumentation with observational astrophysics, targeting advancements in direct imaging techniques.

Scientific Awards

• NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship