Tomislav Jurkić

Dr. Tomislav Jurkić is an Associate Professor at the Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Rijeka, Croatia. He has been with the university since 2007, progressing through academic ranks from assistant to his current position as docent (Associate Professor) since July 2023. His academic journey began with a Diplomirani inženjer fizike degree from the University of Zagreb in 2005, followed by a Doctorate in Natural Sciences specializing in astronomy and astrophysics in 2012.

His educational background includes:

• 2012: Doctor of Natural Sciences, field of physics, specialization in astronomy and astrophysics, Postgraduate Doctoral Study of Physics, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science
• 2005: Diplomirani inženjer fizike (Diploma Engineer of Physics), University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science

Dr. Jurkić's research focuses on astrophysics, particularly on circumstellar dust in symbiotic binary systems, variable stars, and time-domain astronomy. His work has significant implications for understanding stellar evolution, binary star interactions, and dust formation processes. He has made substantial contributions to the field through his modeling of circumstellar environments and analysis of observational data from various astronomical surveys.

Analysis of his publications reveals a strong focus on symbiotic stars, particularly Mira variables with circumstellar dust. His research demonstrates expertise in applying sophisticated modeling techniques to observational data, with particular emphasis on infrared astronomy and light curve analysis. He has recently transitioned to large-scale survey astronomy through his involvement with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) project, where he leads efforts to utilize Croatia's supercomputer 'Bura' for processing astronomical data.

Dr. Jurkić has received multiple teaching excellence awards from the University of Rijeka (2020, 2022) and a presentation award at the 8th Scientific Meeting of the Croatian Physical Society (2013). His research contributions have been recognized through his membership in prestigious international organizations including the International Astronomical Union and the LSST Corporation.

He has mentored numerous students through their undergraduate and graduate theses, guiding research on topics ranging from interferometry in astronomy to exoplanets and cosmic dust. His administrative contributions include serving on the Faculty Council and chairing the University of Rijeka's Online Learning Committee. Dr. Jurkić is also actively involved in science popularization, regularly giving public lectures and participating in educational outreach programs.