Dr. Don Winget

Biography

Don Winget received his undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Illinois and his master’s and PhD degrees in physics and astronomy from the University of Rochester. He is the Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor of Astronomy and a University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas. In 1982, he predicted and discovered a new class of pulsating variable stars, significantly advancing the understanding of a 300-year-old field. His work in 1985 included direct measurements of stellar evolution, and by 1987, he developed a new method for measuring the age and assembly history of the Galaxy that remains an accurate method for dating stellar components. Don co-founded the Whole Earth Telescope with Prof. R. E. Nather, which employs a network of major optical observatories to collaborate on astronomical studies. His research focuses on extreme physics, particularly through observations of pulsating white dwarfs and their implications regarding dark matter. He has also utilized Hubble Space Telescope observations to study globular clusters and is currently working with Sandia National Laboratories to replicate white dwarf surface conditions in the lab. Winget’s research interests encompass various interdisciplinary approaches including astrophysics, galactic structure, and the behavior of matter at extreme densities and temperatures, utilizing asteroseismology to investigate fundamental parameters of white dwarfs and explore potential planetary systems in those stars.

Research Interests

Awards