Faculty Spotlight: Eric Hsiao

Eric Hsiao is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics, part of Florida State University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Tell us a little about your background.

I was born and grew up in Taiwan, but moved to Canada when I was in high school and stayed through completion of my doctorate in physics and astronomy there in 2009. Then, I had three stints of postdoctoral appointments in the U.S., Chile and Denmark. I arrived in Tallahassee for this tenure-track position in 2015.

When did you first become interested in your areas of expertise (observational astronomy?)

I grew up in a big city and never saw the Milky Way in the night sky until I was in high school. My father took me to the old Taipei City Observatory regularly to visit its 16-inch telescope and planetarium. I was not only fascinated by the celestial phenomena humanity had discovered but also wondered about those yet to be revealed. The observatory has since been demolished, but the seeds were already planted in me. Later in high school, I picked up Carl Sagan's book, “Cosmos,” and I was hooked.

What are your current research interests, and what makes you passionate about them?

My research interests are in supernovae and their use in cosmology. Supernovae are the explosive evolutionary end points of some stars. These explosions are so powerful that they can be observed more than half way across the observable universe. Supernovae forge and disperse heavy elements that form planets and make life as we know it possible. Although we have learned a lot about the transition of stars to supernovae, we still do not know the exact causes.

One class of explosions, Type Ia supernovae, is an exceptionally uniform group and have been used as "standard candles" to measure immense distances. We are able to use these objects to map the expansion history of the universe. It was expected that the universal expansion would slow down after the Big Bang. It did, but then inexplicably sped up and is still accelerating today. This accelerated expansion is dubbed “Dark Energy." While Dark Energy dictates the ultimate fate of our universe, we do not know the cause. I feel fortunate to be involved in research that attempts to solve these mysteries.

What do you want the public to know about your research? Why is your topic important?

We are literally stardust. To me, astronomy is a crucial part of our origin story. As the influential astronomer Allan Sandage put it, “All humans are brothers. We came from the same supernova.”

Who are your role models? Who has influenced you most in your life?

Astronomy has a rich and long history and, as an astronomer, I have many role models to choose from. Among my favorites are William Herschel and Annie Jump Cannon, but my real role models are my colleagues, advisers and students whose quiet dedication to their work is what I try to emulate.

What brought you to Florida State University? Why do you enjoy working at FSU?

Coming to FSU has been a great opportunity for me. Even though the FSU astrophysics group is relatively young, there is strong theoretical modeling work on supernovae done here and my observational background is a good fit. I am excited to help build up the astrophysics program. The Department of Physics is also a wonderful place to work, with great colleagues and students.

What is your favorite part of your job?

The thrill of discovery and the feeling of knowing you are the first person to see the photons of an exotic astronomical event are highly addictive!

What is the most challenging part of your job?

I find the responsibility for properly educating my students quite daunting at times when I have a moment to think about it. Finding time for research can also be a challenge.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I like to spend time with my family and read books that are not about astronomy.

If your students only learned one thing from you (of course, hopefully they learn much more than that), what would you hope it to be?

We are at the forefront of research, so when you feel confident that you have found the right answer, it likely means you need to do more homework and thinking.