Dr. Benjamin Roulston is an Assistant Professor of Physics and the Director of the Observatory at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY.
Since joining Clarkson University in 2023, Dr. Roulston has been dedicated to teaching and research, focusing his research on binary stars, specifically post-mass transfer binaries. His research investigates how binary stars can exchange mass and interact together, contributing to the understanding of various astrophysical processes such as common-envelope-evolution.
Dr. Roulston completed his PhD at Boston University while serving as a predoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. His doctoral research concentrated on binary stars, particularly dwarf carbon stars, utilizing models and observations from Chandra, Hubble, and various optical telescopes to study their formation and properties.
Before joining Clarkson University, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech working on the Zwicky Transient Facility project. At Clarkson University, Dr. Roulston teaches a range of courses, including introductory physics (Physics 1 and 2), an introductory astronomy course, an advanced astrophysics course, and an aerospace engineering course on the space environment. His teaching philosophy emphasizes engaging students through problem-solving and hands-on experience with real data, bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and practical application.
