Astronomy & Astrophysics

The Department of Physics and Astronomy is pleased to welcome its newest faculty member in astrophysics, Dr. Sean Brittain. Sean arrived at Clemson in March 2006 from the National Science Foundation’s National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, where he held a prestigious Michelson Fellowship. His hire was the result of a national search conducted during the Spring of 2005.

Sean received his B.S. in Chemical Physics from LeTourneau University in Texas. He then headed to Notre Dame interested in studying the philosophy of physics. Along the way, however, he was bitten by the astrophysics bug. After receiving his Ph.D. in 2004, Sean assumed a NASA-funded Michelson Postdoctoral Fellowship at NOAO. Accompanying him to Clemson are his lovely wife Beth, who will be pursuing a Montessori teacher certification, and his delightful children Olivia (4) and Samuel (2).

“We received roughly 70 applications from several different countries as part of our astrophysics search,” said Associate Professor Jeremy King. “While the vast majority of these were from outstanding astrophysicists, we were particularly excited by Sean’s application because of the unique aspects of his research that both complement and broaden Clemson astrophysics, the fundamental nature and timeliness of his research program, his clear dedication to students and the educational responsibilities of a faculty member, and his demonstrable success and maturity as a young scientist. We are thrilled to have him join the Physics and Astronomy family.”

Sean’s research focuses on the use of high-resolution spectroscopy in the near-infrared to determine gaseous phase abundances in circumstellar disks, young stars, and the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars. Sean uses these abundances to explore the formation and very early evolution of stars—including the formation and evolution of planetary disks and planets themselves. Sean has already initiated a vigorous program of research with Clemson Ph.D. students Brian Donehew and Matt Troutman, and looks forward to teaching the 2-semester introductory astrophysics sequence for undergraduates starting Fall 2006.