Dr. Alexander Konopelko’s fascination with outer space may have been influenced by pop culture, but his scientific research in astrophysics these days is without a doubt far beyond the average star gazer – both intellectually and in proximity.
“I watched a lot of movies about space research growing up. I loved Star Trek,” said Konopelko, a physics professor at PSU whose area of study focuses on black holes millions of miles beyond the Earth’s surface.
Not a bad place for space experts to begin. After moving to the United States from Germany three years ago, Konopelko spent a year as a research associate at Purdue before being recruited to teach at Pitt State. Since then, he has quickly proven why he is part of a selective group of highly regarded astrophysicists in the country: This fall, he and his researchers were awarded a $140,000 grant from NASA to study black holes. Their goal is to catch one in a flaring state, which he says would ultimately help explain the evolution of the universe.
PITTSBURG —
