Austin Hinkel, Ph.D.

Hi there – my name is Austin Hinkel and this is my personal website.

I am an Assistant Professor at Thomas More University studying Galactic Archaeology and Galactic Structure. I love teaching introductory physics and astronomy courses, and I am also a huge fan of using data science for social good. If you’re interested in collaborating on a project that helps to meet a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, let me know! I am always looking to make a down-to-Earth, positive impact to balance my Astrophysics research. You can contact me here.

This website acts as an abbreviated CV, but I also plan to write about some of my work in astronomy, astrophysics, and data science.

Curriculum Vitae:

Here is my full CV as of 24 February 2026.

Other Places to Find Me:

Academic/Professional:

Other:

Selected Publications:

“Plantary Defense in the Introductory Astronomy Classroom: Visualizing Kepler’s Laws”, Austin Hinkel, (2026). The Physics Teacher (Astro-Notes Column)
“Two-point correlation function studies for the Milky Way: discovery of spatial clustering from disk excitations and substructure”, Austin Hinkel, Gardner, S., Yanny, B., (2023). The Astrophysical Journal.
“Axial Asymmetry Studies in Gaia Data Release 2 Yield the Pattern Speed of the Galactic Bar”, Austin Hinkel, Gardner, S., Yanny, B., (2020). The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
“Probing Axial Symmetry Breaking in the Galaxy with Gaia Data Release 2”, Austin Hinkel, Gardner, S., Yanny, B., (2020). The Astrophysical Journal.

Education:

Ph.D., Physics (2021) University of Kentucky
M.S., Physics (2018) University of Kentucky
B.S., Physics w/ Honors, Minor in Mathematics, summa cum laude (2016) University of Kentucky
Danish Institute for Study Abroad (2015)

Appointments:

Assistant Professor, Thomas More University, 2023 - present
Director, Thomas More Observatory, 2024 - present
Visiting Assistant Professor, Colorado College, 2021 - 2023
Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Kentucky, 2016 - 2021

Selected Honors, Grants, and Awards:

Colorado College Dean of the Faculty Teaching Award ‘22-‘23 AY
Kentucky Space Grant / NASA EPSCoR grant ‘24-‘25 AY
Kentucky Space Grant / NASA EPSCoR grant ‘23-‘24 AY
American Physical Society 5-sigma Physicist
Colorado College Faculty-Student Collaborative Research Grant, ‘22
Universities Research Association Visiting Scholars Program grants (x3), ‘18-‘21
Kentucky Governor’s Scholar, ‘11

Some Recent Projects:

This section is a work in progress.

Data Visualizations for Inflation Reduction Act Funding and Schools.
Data-driven fall risk project. Details TBA.
Parkinson’s Disease Freezing of Gait Kaggle Competition. Details TBA.
A Two-point Correlation Function Study of the Milky Way. Details TBA.
Heat Island Measurements and Geospatial Data Project. Details TBA.
Light Pollution Measurements and Mapping. Details TBA.
Introductory Astronomy Kaggle Programming Tools. Details TBA.
New Galactic Archaeology and data mining tools. Details TBA.
Energy Efficiency project. Details TBA.

Click here for older projects. (Nothing here yet – stay tuned!)