Brian Welsch

I work at the Space Sciences Laboratory (a.k.a. SSL) of the University of California at Berkeley. My current curriculum vitae outlines my professional background; this page is more human. When I first arrived at SSL, I worked on the Solar MURI project, which aimed to predict CMEs and their effects on the near-Earth space environment. While the MURI project has concluded, I still focus on Space Weather.

Photo credit: Courtesy NASA/TRACE.

In Feb. 2002, I earned my Ph.D. after working with MSU's Solar Physics Group. My thesis advisor, Professor Dana Longcope, and I studied the topological properties of solar magnetic field configurations. My Ph.D. thesis dealt with the flux of magnetic helicity in the quiet sun.

I've run SSL's Solar Lunches, a journal club, off and on for a few years. In addition, I've been slowly compiling a few pages of useful solar pages, including some images and factoids.

Teaching & Outreach Experience:
Over the summer of 1999 I taught intro astronomy for non-science majors at MSU, Phys 101: Mysteries of the Sky. In the summer of 2001, I taught a calculus-based electricity & magnetism (E & M) course for engineering students at Montana Tech. For about six years, I volunteered an hour or more per week in MSU's Physics Learning Center, providing free tutoring in physics. For a few years, I answered some of the solar physics questions submitted to Ask Dr. SOHO. More recently, I volunteered as a tutor for the Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison from 2003 - 2006. In spring 2012, I taught a calc-based intro to thermo and E & M course at UC Berkeley to about 200 first- and second-year engineering students.

"Institutional History:"
B.S. in Physics, with Minor in Philosophy, 1994, College of William & Mary , Williamsburg, VA.
M.S. in Physics, 1998, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.
Ph.D. in Physics, 2002, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.

Personal Interests: I keep myself busy, and am usually off on some escapade, or planning to be soon. Here are some random pics.

Nearly every day I exercise in some way: I enjoy running, swimming, and biking. In '98, I ran the Calgary Stampede Runoff marathon. From 2003 - 2005, I ran the San Francisco marathon (in '03 under the nom de race Bill Abbett, a co-worker who registered but couldn't make the race). In September, 2004, I ran the Ben Nevis race in Scotland, which was a blast -- I'd love to do it again.

I love the outdoors: I backpack, rock climb, road & mountain bike, and ski --- cross-country, telemark, & downhill.

Glacier National Park is a favorite destination.

I joined the forces of CHAOS a while back; they're a fun crowd and a constant source of adventure. ^{1 2 3 4}

Here's the view of the Continental Divide Trail in Glacier, looking south from Cut Bank Pass towards Dawson Pass. Flinsch Peak is to the left, and the Nyack & Coal Creek drainages are to the right.

I also enjoy going to movies; I rarely dislike any that score at or above 90% on The Tomato Meter.

Some www links: For a quick laugh, I hit the Borowitz report occasionally. I'm a Krugman junkie. Cool pics from astrophysics can be found at the Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive. And, last but not least, a link to what is perhaps the best picture ever.