Faculty

Eric Ford

Email: ebf11@psu.edu
Phone: 814-863-5558
Office Address: 428a Davey Laboratory
Title: Professor and ICDS Co-Hire
Unit: Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Webpage: https://science.psu.edu/astro/people/ebf11

Research Interests:

• Exoplanet Surveys & Populations
• Orbital Dynamics & Planet Formation
• Astrostatistics & Astroinformatics
• Data Science
• High-Performance Computing
• Life in the Universe & Astrobiology

Research:

My research centers around exoplanets, with long-term goals of improving our understanding of planet formation and the dynamical evolution of planetary systems. My research group includes both theoretical modeling of planetary systems and interpretation of exoplanet observations. I emphasize the interface between theory and observation, including techniques for characterizing extrasolar planets, the statistical analysis of extrasolar planet observations, methodology for exoplanet demographics, and the efficient design of extrasolar planet surveys. I collaborate with leading planet surveys, including NASA’s Kepler mission, the Habitable Zone Planet Finder and NEID teams. Ultimately, my research aims to improve our understanding of planet formation & evolution, both in our Solar System and in general.