Faculty Profiles
Kenneth Balkus Jr.
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Like the hunter who finally catches the fox, Dr. Kenneth Balkus Jr. must be pleased whenever he develops a better chemical trap. He works with zeolite materials — porous crystalline metal oxides that act as ion-exchangers used in water softening and as absorbents and catalysts.
Rod Heelis
Distinguished Chair in Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Director, William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences
With interests that range from planet-star interaction to finding the differences between planets with magnetic fields, Dr. Rod Heelis measures weather in space using sophisticated instruments that fly on satellite "space labs." He creates computer models that predict phenomena affecting space-based assets.
Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki
Professor, Department of Physics
Conducting research "at the intersection of modern cosmology and general relativity," Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki investigates whether the acceleration of the expansion of the universe is caused by "dark energy" or by modifications to gravity.
Robert Marsh
Senior lecturer III, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
While Dr. Robert Marsh directs his genetic manipulations on plants, his main research in the laboratory deals with understanding how the nuclear structure is put together inside the cells of animals.
A. Dean Sherry
Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology
Professor, Department of Chemistry;
Professor of radiology, UT Southwestern Medical School
Coming up with the proper mix of compounds that will allow physicians to see what’s going on inside their patients is no easy task. Just ask A. Dean Sherry, Ph.D., who develops and tests contrast agents used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Robert J. Stern
Professor, Department of Geosciences
The Earth is gaining ground, and it’s happening deep below the surface of the world’s oceans. Dr. Robert J. Stern, a professor of geosciences and former department head, studies the evolution of continental crust, focusing on its formation and trying to determine its age and composition.