Dr. Varsha P. Kulkarni
Dr. Varsha P. Kulkarni
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Educational and Professional Experience:
Educational and Professional Experience:
Educational Background:
BTech, Engineering Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
MS, Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago
PhD, Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago
AURA Predoctoral Scholar at Space Telescope Science Institute
Professional Experience:
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Arizona, 1996-1999
Assistant Professor, Clemson University, 1999-2000
Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina, 2000-2005
Associate Professor, University of South Carolina, 2005-2010
Professor, University of South Carolina, 2010-present
Interim Department Chair, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Univ. of South Carolina, 2012-2013
Research Supervision:
77 graduate and undergraduate research students and postdocs supervised since 2000
Currently supervising 5 PhD students and 1 postdoctoral researcher (as of July 2025)
Selected Service and Outreach:
Selected Service and Outreach:
Vice President of the Southern Atlantic Coast Section of Physics Teachers, 2011-2012
President of the Southern Atlantic Coast Section of Physics Teachers, 2012-2013
Reviewer for several Astrophysics journals and funding agencies
Numerous talks and interviews for local media and organizations.
Founder, Meeting of Astronomers in South Carolina. Organized/co-organized 5 of these annual meetings 2001 onward.
Advisory Committee Member, South Carolina State Museum's Windows to New Worlds project : advised the museum throughout the creation of their observatory and planetarium
Chair of various College and University committees (e.g., Faculty Welfare Committee, Faculty Budget Committee, College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Recruitment, Retention & Advancement Subcommittee, Panel Chair for University Committee on Tenure and Promotion)
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Dr. Kulkarni studies extragalactic astronomy and cosmology, with a focus on the gas within and around galaxies (interstellar, circumgalactic, intergalactic medium) , galaxy evolution, quasar absorption spectroscopy, cosmic chemical evolution, and dust in nearby and distant galaxies. Her research group uses primarily optical, infrared, and ultraviolet astronomical instruments on many state-of-the-art ground- and space-based telescopes, including the Keck, Subaru, and Gemini telescopes in Hawaii, the Very Large Telescope and Magellen Telescopes in Chilie, the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Herschel Space Observatory, among others.
The overall goal of Dr. Kulkarni's research is to better understand the chemical and structural evolution of galaxies. For this purpose, she and her collaborators investigate the cosmic evolution of the chemical elements, the evolution of stars, dust, and gas in galaxies, and their implications for cosmology.
Dr. Kulkarni has published over 220 articles and conference papers/abstracts, and has given over 285 presentations at conferences and institutions.
For a full listing of Dr. Kulkarni's work on the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS), click here.
For more information on Dr. Kulkarni's research group's activities, click here.
Dr. Kulkarni's research has been funded by NASA and the NSF.
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