Hsiao-Wen Chen

(陳曉雯)

orcid.org/0000-0001-8813-4182

CONTACT

Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
The University of Chicago
5640 S. Ellis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637
U.S.A.
+1 (773) 702-8747
hwchen (at) uchicago dot edu

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Astronomy, State University of New York at Stony Brook (1999)
M.S. Physics, National Taiwan University (1994)
B.S. Physics, National Taiwan University (1992)

EXPERIENCE/SERVICE

Professor, the University of Chicago (2017-present)
Senior Member, Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (2007-present)
Member of Steering Committee, NASA COPAG Cosmic Ecosystems Science Interest Group (2023-present)
Member of NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee (2023-2025)
Member of NASA COPAG Executive Committee (2022-2024)
Member of the Magellan SAC (2018-present)
Member of the AAS Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize Committee (2019-2021)
Hubble Space Telescope proposal review panels/TAC
Member of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey (Astro2020), Panel on Galaxies
The University of Chicago Representative to the Magellan Council (2018-2021)
James Webb Space Telescope Early Release Science Program review panel chair
Chair of the Space Telescope Users Committee (2016/2017)
Swift proposal review panel co-chair
Vice President of the International Astronomical Union IGM Commission (2015-2021)
Chair of the Adler Planetarium Visiting Committee (2014-2015)
Associate Professor, the University of Chicago (2012-2017)
Member of Adler Planetarium Visiting Committee (2012-2014)
Member of ASIAA Advisory Panel (2014-2016)
Member of the Space Telescope Users Committee (2014-2017)
Member of the GMT Science Advisory Committee (2010-2015)
Member of AURA Observatory Council (2010-2013)
The University of Chicago Representative to AURA (2006-2015)
Assistant Professor, the University of Chicago (2005-2012)
Hubble Fellow, MIT (2002-2005)
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Carnegie Observatories (1999-2002)
Research Assistant, SUNY at Stony Brook (1996-1999)
Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1996)
Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1995-1996)
Teaching Assistant, SUNY at Stony Brook (1995)

HONORS AND AWARDS

AAS Fellow (2022)
Hubble Fellowship (2002-2005)
Lee Wilcox Prize for outstanding thesis in experimental physics (2000)
Astronomical Society of New York Graduate Student Research Prize (2000)
Peter B. Kahn Fellowship (1999)

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Image Slicer
Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS)
A Multi-Sightline Investigation of the Complex Circumgalactic Medium
Halo Occupation of Dark Baryons using QSO Absorption-Line Systems
Gamma-ray Burst Afterglows as Cosmic Probes

GRANTS

HST Cycle 31 Grant, CONTACT: Circumgalactic Observations of Nuv-shifted Transitions Across Cosmic Time (2024-)
NASA ADAP, Probing Feeding and Feedback in the Circumgalactic Medium Using OVI As a Tracer (2023-2026)
HST Cycle 25 Grant, COS Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS)
HST Cycle 25 Grant, Resolving the Multiphase ISM of an Elliptical Galaxy at z~0.4
NSF Extragalactic Research Grant, A Multi-Sightline Investigation of the Complex Circumgalactic Medium (2017-2023)
The University of Chicago Women’s Board Grant, Building An Image Slicer to Reveal the Invisible Cosmos (2017-2019)
HST Cycle 24 Grant, Resolving Fe-rich Neutral ISM in a Massive Quiescent Galaxy at z~0.4
HST Cycle 24 Grant, Differentiating Gas Infall and Outflows with Resolved Star Formation Morphology
HST Cycle 23 Grant, Characterizing Circumgalactic Gas around Passive Galaxies
HST Cycle 20 Grant, A Public Snapshot Survey of Galaxies Associated with O VI and Ne VIII Absorbers
HST Cycle 17 Director’s Discretionary Time, Unveiling the Dusty Starburst Galaxy Hosting GRB080607
HST Cycle 17 EPO Grant, Meteorology in Virgo: A 3D HD Video of the Structure & Dynamics of the Virgo Cluster
HST Cycle 17 Grant, The Structure and Dynamics of Virgo’s Intracluster Medium
HST Cycle 17 Grant, A WFC3 Grism Snapshot Survey for Lyman Limit Absorption at z = 2
NSF Extragalactic Research Grant, Gamma-ray Burst Afterglows as a New Probe of the Young Universe (2006-2009)
HST Cycle 15 EPO Grant, Core Sampling the Universe—An Interactive High-Definition Video
HST Cycle 15 Grant, An ACS Prism Snapshot Survey for z ~ 2 Lyman Limit Systems
HST Cycle 15 Grant, Unveiling Starburst Morphology of Distant Damped Ly-alpha Galaxies Hosting Gamma-Ray Bursts
NASA Long-Term Space Astrophysics (LTSA) Grant (2005-2008)
Swift GO Cycle 2, Probing Interstellar and Intergalactic Media at z > 1: Tracing the Evolution of Dust and Gas in the Ancient Universe with Swift Bursts (2005)
Swift GO Cycle 1, Probing Interstellar and Intergalactic Media at z > 1: Tracing the Evolution of Dust and Gas in the Ancient Universe with Swift Bursts (2004)
HST GO Cycle 11, ACS Grism Parallel Survey of Emission-line Galaxies at z < 7 (2002)
FUSE GO Cycle 2, Physical Properties of a z << 1 Lyman Limit System (2000)
American Astronomical Society Small Research Grant (2000)

CURRENT AND PAST POSTDOCS

Dr. Zhijie Qu (2021 – )
Dr. Erin Boettcher (2018 – 2021), postdoctoral researcher, University of Maryland/NASA Goddard (2021 — )
Dr. Yuko Kakazu (2011 – 2012), Public Outreach Specialist, Subaru Telescope (2013 — )
Dr. Christopher Thom (2006-2009), executive manager at Quantium (2019– )

CURRENT AND PAST STUDENTS

Ms. Mandy Cuncheng Chen, U. Chiacgo PhD 2024, Carnegie-Caltech Brinson postdoctoral fellow (2024– )
Ms. Ava Polzin, U. Chicago PhD candidate, expected 2026
Mr. Erik Solhaug, U. Chicago graduate student (2022– )
Mr. Suyash Kumar, U. Chicago graduate student (2022– )
Mr. Rohan Venkat, U. Chicago undergrad research intern, (2021– )
Ms. Laine Hirn, U. Chicago undergrad research intern, (2022– )
Dr. Fakhri Zahedy, U. Chicago PhD 2019, Assistant Professor, University of North Texas (2024– )
Dr. Sean Johnson, U. Chicago PhD 2016, Assistant Professor, UMichigan, Ann Arbor (2020– )
Dr. Jean-Rene Gauthier, U. Chicago PhD 2011, Senior Principal Product Data Scientist at Oracle (2015–present)
Dr. Jia (Cameron) Liang (2012-2016), U. Chicago PhD 2018
Ms. Yun-Hsin Huang (2013-2015), U. Chicago masters student
Dr. Jennifer Helsby (2008-2009), summer REU student/full time research assistant, U. Chicago PhD 2015
Ms. Lindsey Pollack (2006-2008), UCSC masters student
Ms. Hanjue Zhu, U. Chicago undergrad Class of 2020, graduate student (2020– )
Ms. Victoria Ono, University of Chicago Leadership Alliance SR-EIP program (2022)
Ms. Sharada Kasinath, U. Chicago undergrad research intern, (2020–2022)
Mr. Carlos Carrillo-Gallegos, University of Chicago Leadership Alliance SR-EIP program (2021)
Ms. Soo May Wee, U. Chicago undergrad senior thesis in Physics Class of 2021
Mr. Michael Thew (2019), summer research intern
Ms. Abigail Burrus (2018), summer research intern
Ms. Rebecca Pierce (2015-2017), Research Assistant
Ms. Analis Lawrence (2017), summer REU student, University of Florida, physics graduate student (2018– )
Dr. Taweewat (Champ) Somboonpanyakul, UChicago undergrad senior thesis in Physics Class of 2015, MIT physics PhD 2021
Ms. Saki Kamon (2015), summer REU student
Mr. Gilberto Lopez (2010), summer REU student