
Hi! I'm Ryan Golant.
I'm a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate and a NASA FINESST Future Investigator in the Columbia University Department of Astronomy. My research interests lie primarily in computational plasma astrophysics, or the simulation of hot gas in extreme environments throughout the Universe. I am especially interested in the interplay between turbulence and magnetic fields, particularly as it pertains to the question of cosmic magnetogenesis, or how the first magnetic fields in the Universe came into being; my thesis work — advised by Professors Greg Bryan and Lorenzo Sironi — looks at how magnetic fields may arise from turbulence and how this could explain the presence of magnetic fields in (largely empty) cosmic voids. You can read more about my research here.
I'm also very interested in teaching, science communication, and public outreach. I have dedicated much of my grad school career thus far to pedagogical development, science writing for a non-specialist audience, and community service leveraging my scientific expertise. You can read more about my teaching, writing, and outreach down below.
Beyond academics, I enjoy playing violin and video games, learning new things (my interests range from art history to mythology and folklore to jazz and music theory), and playing with my cat, Alfvie. If you have any cute cat photos or videos of your own, feel free to send them my way!.