Professor Graham Wynn

Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics

Director, Education Excellence Programme

BSc (Hons), PhD (Leicester), SFHEA, FRAS

Tel: 0116 2522071

Email: gwy@le.ac.uk

Office: Room G45, Physics and Astronomy

Office hours: I have an open door policy for students, please call by my office or make an appointment with the Physics Teaching Office.

Biography

I am Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester and the Director of the Education Excellence Programme at the University of Leicester since December 2017. Education Excellence is an institution-wide change programme aimed at education enhancement through a series of targeted improvement projects across seven core themes: Assessment & Feedback, Inclusivity, Learning Communities, Student Voice, Retention & Progression, Skills and Employability, Curriculum.

Prior to this (2016-18), I was the Academic Lead for the campus-wide Curriculum Transformation Programme, which involved full curriculum review of all taught programmes at the University of Leicester. I also held the role of College Academic Director for the College of Science and Engineering at Leicester between 2016-18 and, before that, I was Academic Director for the Department of Physics and Astronomy between 2010-16.

My career has long centred on learning and teaching enhancement, with a particular focus on the overarching student experience. I have accumulated extensive experience of academic management, curriculum development, quality assurance processes and student support through a variety of Departmental, College, University and external roles. In 2012, I was PI of a HEA award to design and implement modules aimed at improving employability skills and business awareness of undergraduate physics students and is currently part of the organising committee on national pedagogy project, led by Institute of Physics, aimed at enhancing students’ conceptual understanding in the sciences.

My research is based on the study of astrophysical accretion. Accretion flows are prevalent throughout the Universe, and play a pivotal role in star and planet formation as well as powering some of the most energetic astrophysical phenomena. This field is an area of substantial international activity, and plays major part in the STFC science road map. My current active (publications 2013-2018) research fields include accretion disc physics, interacting binary stars, gamma-ray bursts, X-ray binaries, exoplanets and cool dwarfs, cosmological feedback processes. I have published over 70 papers in peer reviewed international journals and have supervised 7 postgraduate students to successful completion of their PhDs.

I completed my Phd and undergraduate studies at the University of Leicester and has been a faculty member here since 1996.

Current Teaching

Office hours: I have an open door policy for students, please call by my office or make an appointment with the Physics Teaching Office.

PA2230, Condensed Matter
PA3230, Radiation & Matter
PA3600 (Opt.3651) Stellar Structure and Evolution
PA4360 Further Radiation and Matter
PA4980 Physics Special Topics