Dr. Robert Lewis Alexander II
Research Associate · Non-Tenure Track
Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute
About
Robert Alexander holds a Ph.D. in Design Science from the University of Michigan. As an Assistant Research Scientist with NASA Goddard/UMBC he works to transform our understanding of the solar wind through auditory data analysis. Using this novel approach, his collaborative team produced the most sensitive diagnostic of the electron temperature in the solar wind source region to date. This work has resulted in publications in several leading space physics journals, and he received the Outstanding Achievement award from the International Community on Auditory Display where he gave the keynote presentation in 2022. Origin Magazine named him a top creative leader and his work has been featured in Scientific American, National Geographic, VICE, Science Friday, and the BBC World News Service. He has constructed software interfaces to collaboratively explore data across a wide range of fields including space-physics, genetics, neuroscience, meteorology, and geopolitics.
Research interests
Data sonification and visualization methods.
Education
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Ph D, Design Science
— University of Michigan College of Engineering (2015) The Bird's Ear View of Space Physics: Audification as a Tool for the Spectral Analysis of Time Series Data
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MA, Media Arts
— University of Michigan School of Music Theatre and Dance (2009) The Calculus of Music
- BA, Performing Arts Technology (PAT) — University of Michigan School of Music Theatre and Dance (2007)