Jason Steffen

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Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Expertise: Astronomy, Exoplanets, Cosmology, Dark matter and energy, Gravitation, General physics

Biography

Jason Steffen works in the field of exoplanets — planets that orbit distant stars. He has been a member of the science team for NASA's Kepler mission.  He continues to analyze data from that mission to understand the properties of planets and planetary systems. He also worked on projects related to dark matter, dark energy, and gravity.

Steffen is originally from Utah and attended graduate school in Seattle. Before coming to UNLV, he was the Lindheimer Fellow at Northwestern University and the Brinson Fellow at Fermilab outside of Chicago.

In addition to his work in astrophysics, he is known for the Steffen Method, a procedure to efficiently board passengers on an airplane.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Physics, University of Washington, Seattle
  • B.S. in Physics and Mathematic, Weber State University

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Jason Steffen In The News

Plane Earth claim falls flat: Radar technology accounts for Earth’s curve | Fact check
U.S.A. Today
The claim: Radar technology wouldn’t work if the Earth was a globe. Our rating: False.
Exoplanets with a permanent day side may sometimes flip into night
New Scientist
Some planets outside our solar system are thought to be tidally locked, with one side always facing their star, creating a world divided into hot and cold. Now, it seems this set-up may not be permanent after all, allowing the two sides to flip.
What is the most efficient way to load passengers into an aircraft?
New Scientist
The answer is complicated. It depends on what you mean by efficiency, as well as on some pretty important assumptions.
James Webb Telescope Observations Heat up with Coldest Ice Detection
MarketScale
The harshest arctic winters have got nothing on the chill from deep space. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continues to provide gifts for scientists and space enthusiasts with its latest discovery: ice found within the deepest reaches of an interstellar molecular cloud. As reported in the journal Nature Astronomy, the JWST measured the frozen molecules at minus 440 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 263 degrees Celsius).
All Jason Steffen In The News

Articles Featuring Jason Steffen

UNLV Newsmakers 2022: October
Scarlet and Gray, “REB's Glitter Squad”, Lester Cruz and Isabel Ferguson, take pictures and hype up students and families during the October 2022 homecoming football game.
Campus News | November 8, 2022

A collection of news stories highlighting UNLV students and faculty who made headlines locally, regionally, and internationally.

UNLV Newsmakers 2022: July
Remember sculptor Claes Oldenburg who created U.N.L.V.'s iconic Flashlight sculpture this month.
Campus News | August 3, 2022

A collection of news stories highlighting university experts’ insights on and contributions to health, environment, and society.

UNLV Newsmakers 2022: March
U.N.L.V.'s first conference tournament championship—and automatic bid to the NCAA Championship—since winning the Big West in 1994. It will be the Lady Rebels first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002. March 9, 2022 (Josh Hawkins/UNLV)
Campus News | April 1, 2022

A collection of news stories highlighting the experts and student changemakers at UNLV.

All Articles Featuring Jason Steffen