Rate My Professor David Alexander

David Alexander is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Director of the Rice Space Institute at Rice University, where he advances research in Space Science. His primary research areas include solar physics, exoplanetary physics, and earth remote sensing. Alexander earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1984, Bachelor of Science in Natural Philosophy and Astronomy in 1985, and Doctor of Philosophy in Relativistic Cosmology in 1989, all from the University of Glasgow. He joined the Rice faculty in 2003 and leads the Solar Astrophysics Research Group, which investigates solar, space, and astrophysical plasma environments using theory, computational models, observational data analysis, and machine learning. Key research focuses encompass the dynamic solar corona through analysis of thermal and non-thermal radiation, solar flare and coronal mass ejection physics, including models for gamma-rays, hard X-rays, and soft X-ray line broadening. He explores particle production associated with magnetic topology, helicity injection, and filament eruptions. Currently, he leads the NSF-funded INSPIRE project studying magnetic interactions between stars and planets and collaborates on a novel snapshot hyperspectral imager for Earth remote sensing with bioengineering colleagues.

Alexander has garnered significant recognition for his contributions, including appointment as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2018 for services to the space industry at home and abroad and to higher education. He received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2004 and was named a Kavli Frontiers Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences in 2006. He previously chaired the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society and the Solar Heliospheric Interplanetary Environment program, and served on NASA's Heliophysics Subcommittee and Solar Heliospheric Management and Operations Working Group. Alexander holds advisory roles with SpaceCom and the Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture, editorial positions on Space Science Reviews and ROOM: The Space Journal, and board seats including the American Astronautical Society (2018-2022), Houston Spaceport Development Corporation (since 2021), and the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium Executive Committee. As a Rice Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, he bridges academia, government, and industry. He is the author of the book "The Sun" (2009, Greenwood Press).