Zack Hutchens
Assistant Professor of Physics and Astrophysics
Department: Physics
Email: zhutchens@elon.edu
Professional Expertise
Brief Biography
Zack Hutchens is an astrophysicist interested in galaxy evolution and cosmic structure growth. To investigate the demographics and environments of galaxies over cosmic time, Zack applies statistics and data science to large surveys of thousands of galaxies. These surveys are based on data from several state-of-the-art observatories including NASA’s flagship James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and South Africa’s 64-antenna MeerKAT radio telescope. Recent projects include (1) quantifying the distribution of radio-detected cold hydrogen gas within galaxy groups in the local Universe, (2) developing computer algorithms to identify galaxy groups, and (3) measuring the sizes and structures of more than 100,000 galaxies detected in deep space-based infrared imaging. Current and previous students working on these surveys have reached multiple scientific achievements including funded research fellowships and local and national research presentations.
News & Notes
Education
- Ph.D. in Physics (astronomy concentration), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2024
- M.S. in Physics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2022
- B.S. in Physics, High Point University, 2018