Alan Jackson

I am an astronomer and planetary scientist. Underlying my work is a deep curiosity about how planets, and the systems they reside in, form and evolve. This is a very broad theme, and my work reflects this diversity, spanning the divide between astronomy and planetary science. The breadth of this topic also means that it touches on many different fields of expertise, and so I work closely with a wide range of other researchers. I typically approach questions from a theoretical perspective, whilst always endeavouring to link back to observational or experimental data.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences at Towson University.

Academic Positions

  • Present 2023

    Assistant Professor

    Towson University, Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences

    2023 2019

    Assistant Research Scientist and Exploration Fellow

    Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration

    2019 2016

    CPS Fellow

    University of Toronto, Centre for Planetary Sciences

    2016 2014

    Postdoctoral researcher

    Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration

Education & Training

  • Ph.D. 2014

    Ph.D. in Astronomy

    University of Cambridge, Institute of Astronomy

  • MPhys2010

    Master of Physics

    University of Oxford, Merton College

Grants & Fellowships

As Principal/Lead Investigator

  • 2019-2022
    Exploration Fellowship

    Flagship postdoctoral fellowship of the Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration, worth around $250k over 3 years.

    Research topic: Terrestrial planet formation at home and abroad

    See https://sese.asu.edu/awards-accolades for more information.

  • 2016-2020
    Stop Hitting Yourself: Did most terrestrial impactors originate from the terrestrial planets
    Funding totalling $643k over 3 years (+1 year no-cost extension) awarded through the NASA Emerging Worlds Program.

As Co-Investigator/Collaborator

  • 2023-2028
    TREC: Tracing Rocky Exoplanet Compositions
    Funding totalling $5.8m over 5 years awarded through the NASA Interdisciplinary Center for Astrobiology Research, PI: Steven Desch, Arizona State University.
  • 2023-2026
    How do super-Mercuries form?
    Funding totalling $604k over 3 years awarded through the NASA Exoplanet Research Program, PI: Cayman Unterborn, Southwest Research Institute.
  • 2020-2023
    Debris Disk Variability - Exploring the Diverse Outcomes of Large Collisions during the Eras of Oligarchic and Chaotic Growth II
    Funding totalling $412k over 3 years awarded through the NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program, PI: Kate Su, University of Arizona.
  • 2019-2022
    Application of Machine Learning to Giant Impact Studies of Planet Formation
    Funding totalling $548k over 3 years awarded through the NASA Emerging Worlds Program, PI: Erik Asphaug, University of Arizona.
  • 2017-2019
    Debris Disk Variability - Exploring the Diverse Outcomes of Large Collisions during the Eras of Oligarchic and Chaotic Growth
    Funding totalling $198k over 2 years awarded through the NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program, PI: Kate Su, University of Arizona.

Image credit: Gemini observatory/AURA, artist's impression of the Moon-forming giant impact