Rate My Professor Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez

Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of South Carolina, appointed in August 2024. Originally from the Canary Islands in Spain, he is a first-generation college graduate from a low-income background. He earned a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of La Laguna in 2007, an M.Sc. in Astrophysics from the same institution in 2008 in collaboration with the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, and a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Florida in 2013. His professional career encompasses roles as Senior Research Scientist at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford University from 2021 to 2025, Scientist and Visiting Scientist at the NASA SOFIA Science Center from 2016 to 2021, Research Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory, and Assistant Professor of Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio from 2013 to 2016. Lopez-Rodriguez has flown approximately 100 times on NASA's SOFIA Boeing 747 for polarimetric observations.

An extragalactic astronomer, Lopez-Rodriguez investigates the role of magnetic fields in galaxy evolution, active galactic nuclei, and star formation through infrared and radio polarimetric observations at highest angular resolutions. His work characterizes magnetic field strengths and structures in the multiphase interstellar medium, empirical relationships with star formation and supermassive black hole accretion, and dusty obscuring tori in AGN. He leads the SALSA SOFIA Legacy Program as PI (with Mao), mapping magnetic fields in galaxies including the Antennae Galaxies, NGC 1097, and M82. Recent studies include magnetic superhighways in starburst galaxy winds and JWST interferometric imaging of AGN tori. With 89 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index of 25, key works feature 'The magnetic field of the warped molecular disk of Centaurus A' (Nature Astronomy, 2021, Best SOFIA paper), 'Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA (SALSA Legacy Program)' series (ApJ, 2021-2023), and ALMA polarimetry of NGC 1068 (ApJ, 2020). He has secured over $2 million in grants as PI or US-PI for JWST Cycles 2-4, ALMA Cycles 8-11, SOFIA Cycles 2-9, and NASA programs. Lopez-Rodriguez contributed to commissioning HAWC+ on SOFIA, MMT-Pol, and CanariCam, and serves on TMT instrument teams. He delivered the Fred Kavli Plenary Lecture at the 238th AAS meeting in 2021 and supports underrepresented students through open mentorship.