Kevin Flaherty
Lecturer in Astronomy and Observatory Supervisor
Williams College
Dr. Kevin Flaherty studies the formation of planets by observing the dynamics of the environments in which planets form. Using both space based and ground based telescopes, he investigates the disks of gas and dust around young stars. These environments are highly dynamic, displaying structural changes over days and weeks, with high velocity material constantly flowing and colliding throughout the disk. By measuring these velocities during the earliest stages of the planet formation process, and by studying the results of collisions after planets have formed, he hopes to further our understanding of how planets like the Earth were created and how they evolved. He joined the astronomy and physics departments at Williams College in 2018, after spending time as a postdoctoral researcher at Wesleyan University, and working in support of the James Webb Space Telescope at the University of Arizona. His academic career began at the University of Rochester, where he graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. degree in Physics and Astronomy, and continued at the University of Arizona where he received a Ph.D. in Astronomy.
