PDF of CV

Frederic A. Rasio
Dept of Physics and Astronomy
Northwestern University
2145 Sheridan Rd.
Evanston, IL 60208
 Tel: (847) 467 3419    
Secretary: (847) 491 7650    
Fax: (847) 467 6857    
rasio@northwestern.edu    
ciera.northwestern.edu/rasio    


PERSONAL

Born April 20, 1964, in Brussels, Belgium.
Permanent US resident since 1995. Belgian citizenship.


EDUCATION
1985 – 1991 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, Department of Physics. Degrees: M.S. (1988), Ph.D. (1991). Ph.D. Thesis: “Hydrodynamic Calculations of Stellar Interactions.” Ph.D. Thesis advisor: Prof. Stuart L. Shapiro.
1980 – 1985 Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, Faculté des Sciences Appliquées. Degree: Ingénieur Physicien (M.S. in Applied Physics), Avec Grande Distinction (1985). Thesis: “Charge Division in Drift Chambers Operated in Streamer Mode.” Thesis advisor: Prof. Jean Sacton.


RESEARCH INTERESTS

Theoretical Astrophysics: dynamics of dense stellar systems (globular clusters, galactic nuclei, massive black holes); hydrodynamic stellar interactions (stellar collisions and mergers, binary coalescence, common envelope evolution); relativistic astrophysics (neutron stars and black holes, gravitational waves, relativistic star clusters); dynamics of binary and multiple star systems; radio pulsar timing and applications; extrasolar planetary systems.

Computational Astrophysics: numerical hydrodynamics, numerical relativity, Monte Carlo methods, N–body simulations, parallel algorithms.


EMPLOYMENT
2001 – Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois:
Joseph Cummings Professor of Physics (2009- );
Professor of Physics and Astronomy (2006- );
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy (2001-2006).
1995 – 2002 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts:
Associate Professor of Physics (2001-2002, on leave);
Assistant Professor of Physics (1995-2001).
1992 – 1995 Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey:
Member, School of Natural Sciences.
1986 – 1992 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York:
Research Associate, Department of Astronomy (1991-1992);
Research Assistant, Department of Astronomy (1988-1991);
Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics (1986-1988).


VISITING POSITIONS


AWARDS AND HONORS
2006 – 2007 Research Mentor Award (Northwestern University, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences).
2006 Fellow of the American Physical Society.
2004 – 2005 Faculty Honor Roll (Northwestern University Associated Student Government).
1996 – 2000 Sloan Research Fellow (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation).
1992 – 1995 Hubble Fellow (NASA).
1991 Graduate Student Prize (Astronomical Society of New York).
1985 – 1986 Hoover Foundation Fellow (Belgian American Educational Foundation).


FUNDING
  • Formation of Black Hole X-Ray Binaries in Globular Clusters.
    Umbreit, S. (Science P.I.), Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Chandra Theory Grant #12620791 from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, $85,000 awarded for 01/2011 - 12/2012.
  • Dynamical Formation and Evolution of Compact Binaries.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant PHY-0855592, $229,106 awarded for 08/2009 - 07/2012.
  • Binary Stars and Globular Cluster Dynamics.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA ATFP Grant NNX09AO36G, $470,721 awarded for 08/2009 - 07/2012.
  • Intermediate-Mass Black Holes in Globular Clusters.
    Umbreit, S. (Science P.I.), Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Hubble Theory Grant HST-AR-11779.01-A, awarded through the Space Telescope Science Institute, $85,000 awarded for 11/2008 - 10/2010.
  • Hydrodynamics of Stellar Collisions and Mergers.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Grant NNX08AG66G, $416,923 awarded for 03/2008 - 03/2012.
  • Dynamical Formation of X-ray Sources in Dense Star Clusters.
    Fregeau, J.A. (Science P.I.), Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Chandra Fellowship Grant PF7-80047, awarded through the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, $88,682 awarded for 08/2007 - 07/2008.
  • Observational Signatures of Extrasolar Late Heavy Bombardments.
    Thommes, E. (Science P.I.), Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Spitzer Theory Grant NMO710076, awarded through the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory, $86,144 awarded for 07/2007 - 06/2009.
  • Conference on `Extreme Solar Systems.'
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), Wolszczan, A. (co-P.I.), NSF Grant AST-0732444, $26,000 for 07/2007 - 06/2008.
  • Acquisition of a Versatile High Performance Computing Facility for Gravitational Wave Source Modeling and Student Training.
    Kalogera, V. (P.I.), Bayliss, A., Yusef-Zadeh, F., Rasio, F.A., & Taam, R.E. (co-P.I.), NSF MRI Grant PHY-0619274, $416,198 awarded for 10/2006 - 09/2008.
  • Dynamical Formation and Evolution of Compact Binaries.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant PHY-0601995, $197,996 awarded for 08/2006 - 07/2010.
  • Intermediate-Mass Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei and Starbursts.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), Freitag, M. (co-P.I.), NSF Grant AST-0607498, $364,598 awarded for 06/2006 - 05/2010.
  • Binary Stars and Globular Cluster Dynamics.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Astrophysics Theory Program Grant NNG06GI62G, $331,919 awarded for 05/2006 - 04/2009.
  • Millisecond Pulsars and Core Collapse in the Globular Cluster NGC 6752.
    Heinke, C.O. (Science P.I.), Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Chandra GO Grant, Award GO6-7034X from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, $38,998 awarded for 02/2006 - 02/2008.
  • Dynamical Formation of X-ray Sources in Globular Clusters.
    Fregeau, J.A. (Science P.I.), Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Chandra Theory Grant, Award TM6-7007X from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, $78,986 awarded for 01/2006 - 12/2007.
  • Modeling Stellar Exotica in Dense Star Clusters.
    Lombardi, J.C. (P.I.), Rasio, F.A. (co-P.I.), NSF Grant AST-0507561, $177,563 awarded (to Vassar College) for 09/2005 - 08/2008.
  • Dynamics of Extrasolar Planetary Systems.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant AST-0507727, $397,336 awarded for 08/2005 - 07/2008.
  • Stellar Collisions in Dense Star Clusters and Galactic Nuclei.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Astrophysics Theory Program Grant NNG04G176G, $310,000 awarded for 05/2004 - 05/2007.
  • Hydrodynamic Calculations of Coalescing Compact Binaries.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant PHY-0245028, $116,000 awarded for 08/2003 - 07/2006.
  • Stellar Sources of Low-Frequency Gravitational Waves.
    Kalogera, V. (P.I.), Freitag, M. (co-I.), Rasio, F.A. (co-I.), NASA Astrophysics Theory Program Grant NAG5-12345, $253,762 awarded (to NU) for 04/2003 - 03/2006.
  • Theoretical Models of X-ray Binaries and Millisecond Pulsars in Globular Clusters.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Chandra Theory Grant, Award TM3-4003X from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, $60,000 awarded for 01/2003 - 12/2004.
  • Collaborative Research: Stellar Collisions and Mergers.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant AST-0206276, $50,244 awarded (to NU) for 09/2002 - 08/2005 (J.C. Lombardi was P.I. on the corresponding grant at Vassar).
  • Dynamics of Extrasolar Planetary Systems.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant AST-0206182, $227,376 awarded for 07/2002 - 06/2006.
  • Binary Stars and Globular Cluster Dynamics.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Astrophysics Theory Program Grant NAG5-12044, $259,770 awarded for 04/2002 - 04/2006.
  • Hydrodynamic Calculations of Coalescing Compact Binaries..
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant PHY-0133425, $124,353 awarded for 08/2001 - 07/2004.
  • Binary Stars and Globular Cluster Dynamics.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Astrophysics Theory Program Grant NAG5-11396, $77,049 awarded for 07/2001 - 04/2002.
  • Hydrodynamic Calculations of Coalescing Compact Binaries.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant PHY-0070918, $56,670 awarded for 08/2000 - 07/2001.
  • Binary Stars and Globular Cluster Dynamics.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Astrophysics Theory Program Grant NAG5-8460, $242,278 awarded for 04/1999 - 04/2002.
  • Stellar Evolution and Stellar Dynamics in Dense Star Clusters.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NASA Hubble Fellowship Grant HF-01112.01-98A (to support Postdoctoral Fellow S. Portegies Zwart at MIT), $202,000 awarded for 11/1998 - 10/2001.
  • Theoretical Studies of Dynamical Interactions between Stars.
    Rasio, F.A. (P.I.), NSF Grant AST-9618116, $214,570 awarded for 05/1997 - 04/2001.
  • Sloan Research Fellowship, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, $35,000 awarded for 10/1996 - 09/2000.
  • Gas Dynamics and the Formation of Galaxies and Quasars.
    Loeb, A. (P.I.) & Rasio, F.A. (co-I.), NASA Astrophysics Theory Program Grant NAG5-3085, $240,000 awarded (to Harvard University) for 08/1995 - 07/1998.


TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2001 – Northwestern University, Department of Physics and Astronomy:
  • ASTRON 449: `Stellar Dynamics' (graduate-level introduction to galactic dynamics at the level of Binney & Tremaine).
  • ASTRON 445: 'General Relativity and Applications' (graduate-level introduction to general relativity and relativistic astrophysics).
  • ASTRON 331: 'Astrophysics' (advanced undergraduate introduction to theoretical astrophysics).
  • ASTRON 390-JR: 'Astrobiology' (Junior Research Seminar).
  • ASTRON 135-3: 'General Physics' (Section Instructor).
  • ASTRON 110: 'From Copernicus to Hawking: the People and Ideas that Shaped Modern Cosmology' (freshman seminar).
  • PHYS 110: 'Origins: from Big Bang Cosmology to Astrobiology' (freshman advising seminar).
  • PHYS 110: 'The Physics of Armageddon' (freshman seminar).
  • AGEP Professor - Midwest Crossroads AGEP (NSF Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate) - a partnership of Northwestern, Indiana and Purdue University to increase minority participation in graduate studies and academia.
  • supervised 4 PhD Theses (A. Gürkan, PhD '05; G. Takeda, PhD '08; E. Rantsiou, PhD '09; S. Chatterjee, PhD '10).
  • supervised 7 Physics and Astronomy senior theses.
  • supervised 22 undergraduate (REU) students, 9 graduate students, and 10 postdocs (C. Deloye, J. Faber, J. Fregeau, M. Freitag, N. Ivanova, P. Kiel, S. Matsumura, S. Naoz, E. Thommes, S. Umbreit).
1996 – 2001 MIT, Department of Physics:
  • 8.901: 'Astrophysics I' (graduate-level introduction to stellar astrophysics).
  • 8.03: 'Physics III' (sophomore-level course at the level of Crawford, Waves).
  • freshman advising seminars on Astrophysics.
  • supervised 3 PhD Theses (K. Joshi, PhD '00; J. Faber, PhD '01; J. Fregeau, PhD '03).
  • supervised 9 Physics senior theses.
  • supervised 17 undergraduate (REU/UROP) students, 5 graduate students, and one postdoctoral fellow (S. Portegies Zwart).
  • supervised high-school students in the Research Science Institute program.


ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
2009 – Co-Director, Northwestern University Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)
2009 – Aspen Center for Physics, General Member; 2011 Summer Program Seletion and Admissions Committees.
2009 – 2011 American Astronomical Society Warner Prize and Pierce Prize Committee member.
2006 – Northwestern University, Member of the Administrative Board of The Graduate School.
2006 – 2008 Northwestern University, Limited Submissions Committee member.
2005 – Scientific Editor for The Astrophysical Journal.
2005 – 2008 Northwestern University, Fulbright Fellowship Committee member.
2005 – 2006 Northwestern University, Department of Materials Science Program Review Committee member.
2005 American Physical Society, World Year of Physics Talent Search Evaluator.
2004 – American Astronomical Society Employment Committee member; chair (2010-11).
2001 – Northwestern University, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences:
Committee on Appeals (2006 – );
Interdisciplinary Committee on Evolutionary Processes (2005 – );
Dean's ad-hoc committees (2004–05; 2006–07; 2007–08; 2009-10; 2010-11);
Integrated Science Program Committee (2001 – ).
2001 –

Northwestern University, Department of Physics and Astronomy:
Executive Committee member (2010 – );
Director of Graduate Studies (2006 – 2008);
Promotion Committees (2007 – 08; 2008 – 09);
Graduate Admissions (2006 – 07; 2009 – 10);
Awards and Honors Committee (2005 – 2009);
Long-Term Planning Committee (member 2004 – 05; chair 2005 – 06);
Heilborn Lectures Committee (2003 – 2005);
Colloquium Committee (2004 – 2006; 2010 – );
Graduate Curriculum and Advising Committee (member 2001 – 2003; chair
2006 – 2008);
Graduate Program Reform Committee (2001 – 02);
Undergraduate Program Reform Committee (2002 – 03);
Faculty Search Committees (member 2002 – 03; chair 2008 – 09);
IGERT Nonlinear Dynamics Program Executive Committee (2002 – 03);
2001 Joint NSF/NASA Task Force on Gravitational Wave Computation (Chair: Saul Teukolsky).
2001 – LIGO Scientific Collaboration Gravitational Wave Analysis Group facilitator.
1986 – 1991 MIT, Department of Physics:
Astrophysics Colloquium Chair (1995 – 98);
Graduate Admissions (1997, 1999);
Astrophysics Web Site Administrator (1996 – 2001);
Physics Theory Retreat Committee (1999 – 2001);
CSR Space Planning Advisory Committee (1997 – 2001);
Special Taskforce on Education Information (1997 – 98);
two promotion committees.
  • Proposal peer reviewer and review panel member (NASA, NSF, NSERC, PPARC).
  • Peer reviewer for The Astrophysical Journal, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Icarus, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Nature, Physical Review D, Physical Review Letters, Science.


CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION
  • International Conference on 'Extreme Solar Systems II' (Jackson Hole, WY, September 2011; SOC co-chair with G. Marcy).
  • Special Joint DAP/DNS Session on `Neutron Stars and the Dense Matter Equation of State' at 2011 APS April Meeting (Anaheim, CA; co-organizer and co-chair with C. Horowitz).
  • International Conference on 'The Evolution of Interacting Binaries' (Mykonos, Greece, June 2010; SOC member), in honor of Ron Webbink.
  • Aspen Winter Conference on 'Formation and Evolution of Black Holes' (Aspen Center for Physics, Feb 2010; main organizer).
  • KITP Program on `Formation and Evolution of Globular Clusters' , Coordinator (with A. Sills, E. Vesperini, & S. Zepf), UC Santa Barbara, January - April, 2009.
  • Aspen Summer Program on `Characteristics and Habitability of Super Earths', Organizer (with E. Ford, L. Kaltenegger, & S. Seager), Aspen Center for Physics, August 2008.
  • IAU Symposium 246 on 'Dynamical Evolution of Dense Stellar Systems' (Capri, Italy, September 2007; SOC Member).
  • International Conference on '40 Years of Pulsars' (Montreal, Canada, August 2007; SOC Member), celebrating the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the first radio pulsar by Bell Burnell and Hewish.
  • International Conference on 'Extreme Solar Systems' (Santorini, Greece, June 2007; SOC co-chair and proceedings co-editor), in honor of Alex Wolszczan.
  • 'Symposium on Relativity and Astrophysics' (Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, June 2007; SOC Member), in honor of Saul Teukolsky.
  • Pale Blue Dot III (Adler Planetarium, Chicago, September 2006; SOC member, LOC member).
  • IAU General Assembly Joint Discussion on 'Compact Objects in Dense Star Clusters' (Prague, Czech Republic, August 2006; SOC co-chair and proceedings editor).
  • MODEST-6 Conference on 'Modeling Dense Stellar Systems' (Northwestern University, August 2005; main organizer).
  • Aspen Winter Conference on 'Planet Formation and Detection' (Aspen Center for Physics, Feb 2005; co-organizer).
  • Aspen Winter Conference on 'Binary Radio Pulsars' (Aspen Center for Physics, Jan 2004; co-organizer).
  • Co-organized 3 workshops for the NSF Center for Gravitational Wave Physics (at PSU) on 'Making Waves with Intermediate-Mass Black Holes' (May 2004; SOC member);
    'Gravitational Wave Phenomenology' (Nov 2003; SOC member); and
    'Source Simulation and Gravitational Wave Data Analysis' (Oct 2002; SOC member).
  • KITP Conference on 'Globular Clusters: Formation, Evolution and the Role of Compact Objects' (Santa Barbara, Jan 2003; coordinator).
  • Conference on 'Radio Pulsars' (Crete, Aug 2002; SOC member), in honor of Andrew Lyne, Dick Manchester and Joe Taylor.
  • Aspen Center for Physics Programs on 'Physical Applications of Radio Pulsar Timing' (June 1998, main organizer) and 'Compact Objects in Dense Star Clusters' (June 2001; co-organizer).
  • Colloquium on 'Stellar Collisions, Mergers, and Their Consequences' (June 2000; American Museum of Natural History, New York, SOC member).


PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

PUBLICATIONS
See Publications page


RECENT INVITED TALKS
  • The Million-Body Problem: Particle Simulations in Astrophysics.
    Physics Colloquium, UCLA, November 2010; Astronomy Department Colloquium, University of Florida, October 2009; Rutgers Astrophysics Colloquium, June 2008; Fermilab Colloquium, January 2006; Physics and Astronomy Colloquium, Northwestern University, October 2005.
  • Overview of Dynamics Questions,
    Opening Talk at the KITP Conference on Formation and Evolution of Globular Clusters, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, Santa Barbara, CA, January 2009.
  • Habitability of Planets in Binary Stars,
    Invited Talk at the Fifth Astrobiology Science Conference, Santa Clara, CA, April 2008.
  • Gravitational Waves from Compact Binary Mergers,
    Invited Talk at the April 2008 Meeting of the American Physical Society, St Louis, MO.
  • Neutron Stars in Merging Compact Binaries.
    Invited Talk at the Symposium on Relativity and Astrophysics (in honor of Saul Teukolsky), Cornell University, June 2007.
  • Black Holes in Dense Star Clusters.
    Astronomy Seminar, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, February 2006;
    Institute for Theory and Computation Colloquium, Harvard University, December 2005.
  • Planets in Binary Stars.
    Talk presented at the International Conference on 'Binaries in the 21st Century', Syros, Greece, June 2005.
  • Formation of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes near Galactic Centers.
    Talk at the Aspen Center for Physics Program on 'LISA Data: Analysis, Sources, and Science', Aspen, Colorado, June 2005.
  • Gravitational Waves from Black Holes in Star Clusters.
    University of Wisconsin Center for Gravitation and Cosmology Seminar, May 2005; University of Bonn / MPIfR Seminar, Germany, June 2005.
  • Formation of IMBH and Young Stars near the Galactic Center.
    Invited Talk at the KITP Conference on 'The Paradoxes of Massive Black Holes', UC Santa Barbara, April 2005.
  • Gravitational Wave Emission from Compact Binary Mergers.
    Plenary Review Talk at the 14th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (JGRG14), Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, Japan, November 2004.
  • Formation of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes.
    Review Talk given at the Aspen Summer Workshop on 'The Formation of Supermassive Black Holes', Aspen Center for Physics, June 2004.
  • Mergers of Stellar-Mass Black Holes in Dense Star Clusters.
    Invited Talk at the Workshop on 'Making Waves with Intermediate-Mass Black Holes', Penn State Center for Gravitational Wave Physics, May 2004.
  • The Planet in M4.
    KITP Seminar, Program on 'Planet Formation: Terrestrial and Extra Solar', UC Santa Barbara, February 2004.
  • Relativistic Calculations of Coalescing Binary Neutron Stars.
    Invited Review Talk at the International Conference on 'Gravitation and Cosmology', (ICGC 04), Cochin, India, January 2004.
  • Formation and Evolution of Compact Binaries in Globular Clusters.
    Invited Review Talk at IAU Colloquium 194 on Compact Binaries in the Galaxy and Beyond, La Paz, Mexico, November 2003.
  • White Dwarf Binaries in Globular Clusters.
    Invited Talk at the Focus Session on Globular Cluster Dynamics and Gravitational Radiation, Penn State Center for Gravitational Wave Physics, October 2003.
  • Formation of Massive Black Holes in Dense Star Clusters.
    Astronomy Colloquium, University of British Columbia, September 2003.
  • A Pulsar, a Young White Dwarf, and the Oldest Known Planet.
    Physics Colloquium, University of British Columbia, September 2003.
  • Gravitational Wave Signals from Compact Binary Mergers.
    Invited Talk at the Gravitational Wave Advanced Detectors Workshop, Aspen Center for Physics, January 2003.
  • Probing the Equation of State of Neutron Stars with LIGO.
    Invited Talk at the Focus Session on 'Source Simulation and Gravitational Wave Data Analysis,' Penn State Center for Gravitational Wave Physics, October 2002.
  • Dynamics of Dense Star Clusters.
    Invited Review Talk at the Carnegie Centennial Symposium I on 'Coevolution of Black Holes and Galaxies,' Pasadena, October 2002.
  • Formation and Evolution of Millisecond Pulsars in Globular Clusters.
    Invited Review Talk at the Conference on 'Radio Pulsars' (in honor of Andrew Lyne, Dick Manchester and Joe Taylor), Chania, Crete, August 2002.
  • Probing the Neutron Star Equation of State with Gravitational Wave Detectors.
    Invited Talk at the SPIE Conference on 'Astronomy Outside the Electromagnetic Spectrum', Hawaii, August 2002.


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