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Retired University Professor of (Astro)Physics
Ryan F.

5.0 (71 ratings)

339 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $240
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Response time: 4 minutes

About Ryan

Bio

Hello, student. This is Ryan. As of July 2024, I have instructed over a thousand students in introductory Physics and Astronomy classes. I graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s in Physics and Mathematics (double major) from Wheaton College (Norton, MA). For my honors thesis I developed a magnetohydrodynamics code in Python. Subsequently, I earned my PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics from the University of Michigan. After living in München, Deutschland (Munich, Germany) for nearly two...

Hello, student. This is Ryan. As of July 2024, I have instructed over a thousand students in introductory Physics and Astronomy classes. I graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s in Physics and Mathematics (double major) from Wheaton College (Norton, MA). For my honors thesis I developed a magnetohydrodynamics code in Python. Subsequently, I earned my PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics from the University of Michigan. After living in München, Deutschland (Munich, Germany) for nearly two years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, I served as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

My former students have successfully landed summer internships at Cambridge, the European Space Agency, and Oxford. Several former students received PhD acceptances, such as at Toledo University and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics. My colleagues are professors at Princeton University, Caltech, Cornell, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Chicago, and many more.

My research involves how galaxies make stars, dark matter, and black holes using computational methods. As such, I am well versed in a variety of fields, spanning physics, mathematics, and computer science. I run my simulations on some of the world’s largest supercomputers. Therefore, developing efficient code in Fortran, C, C++, and Python is my bread & butter :)

I have worked with over a dozen undergraduate and several graduate students one-on-one, teaching them from the ground-up how to use Python, Unix, solve differential equations, etc. to the point they ran their own simulations and published their research in internationally respected journals.

I was appointed the Physics tutor at the career center during my undergraduate studies, and I have tutored dozens of students in Physics and Mathematics during my Bachelors and PhD.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a lesson, contact me.

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Education

Wheaton College, Norton MA
Physics, Mathematics
University of Michigan
PhD

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $240
  • Rate details: You may inquire about group rates and bulk lesson discounts.
  • Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required

  • No background check

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Astronomy

Astronomy

I have instructed over a thousand students for introductory astronomy courses. Moreover, I wrote a book on parallel universes for middle-school students, and I have authored articles published in world-renowned peer-reviewed journals. I taught four introductory astronomy courses as Visiting Professor of Physics at Purdue University Fort Wayne as well as seven astronomy courses at the University of Michigan as a graduate student instructor. Specifically, I have taught courses on The Solar System, Stars & Galaxies, Big Bang Cosmology, Intro to Astrophysics, and Naked Eye Astronomy. My research interests include how galaxies make stars, the impact of supernovae on galaxy evolution, black hole accretion, and the identity of dark matter.
Calculus

Calculus

I earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and a PhD in Astrophysics. Therefore, I am well-versed in Calculus. I have tutored students in Calculus during my PhD. I was a Professor of Physics this past academic year (2023-2024), and I assisted Physics students with Calculus homework during that time.
Physics

Physics

During the 2023 academic year I served as a professor of physics at Purdue University Fort Wayne. I have instructed students in physics courses, independent studies, and 1-1 tutoring ranging from introductory to advanced topics. Regarding introductory physics, I am adept at teaching: kinematics, Newtonian mechanics, sound & music, heat, electricity, magnetism, and optics. At the more advanced end, I have instructed students on quantum computing, general relativity, computational fluid dynamics, black hole astrophysics, and cosmology. I have instructed over a thousand students in the past ten years.
Python

Python

Through 1-1 weekly meetings, I have taught over a dozen students with no previous programming experience how to code in Python. My students have used Python to analyze cutting-edge astrophysics simulations, published scholarly articles in world-renowned peer-reviewed journals, and have been accepted to graduate programs and summer internships at Cambridge, Oxford, the European Space Agency, and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics. Over the past ten years, I have developed Python applications spanning from video game engines to algorithmic trading and web scraping, to data analysis and partial differential equation simulation tools.
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Ratings and Reviews

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5.0 (71 ratings)
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Reviews

Amazing Astronomy Advisor!

Ryan is an outstanding tutor whose deep knowledge of astronomy and coding made a huge difference in my learning journey. He has a rare ability to make complex topics feel approachable, and his patient, hands-on style consistently met me where I was. Ryan guided me through an astronomy research project from start to finish, helping me build the skills and confidence to publish a first-author paper in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, which was a much-needed win. He kept me motivated, broke down challenges clearly, and created an environment where learning felt productive and rewarding.

Nicholas, 2 lessons with Ryan

Knowledgeable and very dedicated tutor

Ryan has been nothing but amazing to work with! He helped my daughter gain back her confidence with the subject which is price less to me. He is very patient and very dedicated to help my child navigate through one of her most challenging and tech intensive projects. I was a little doubtful at the beginning as she is a high schooker and was not sure if he is a right fit but Ryan is a wonderful tutor and very knowledgeable and passionate about astronomy!

Shaila, 3 lessons with Ryan

Very knowledgeable, honest and not money-oriented tutor

I don’t have enough words to describe Ryan. He has been very knowledgeable, very patient and so focused on helping me. He cares more than I about my budget and does everything to be the most efficient during the videocalls. I wholeheartedly recommend Ryan as one of the best tutors I have ever had.

Behrooz , 2 lessons with Ryan

Inspiring, Professional and Knowledgable

Ryan is an excellent tutor. He is very knowledgable and dedicated. He goes above and beyond and helps in between sessions. I am learning a lot from him. He is an expert in his field. More importantly, he is there to support and help. The pace is perfect and he will tailor it your needs so he can help and teach. He is very positive and inspiring, he teaches and at the same time motivates you. Planning on more sessions with Ryan to learn about Physics. He is pleasure to speak with. He is an excellent communicator and teacher.

Bee, 6 lessons with Ryan

LOVE working with Ryan on learning python through astronomy

I hired a daily python coach to keep me accountable on learning and progressing with Python on a daily basis. I have a hard time motivating myself to stick with it and now Ryan leads me through python concepts and keeps me interested by also teaching me how to mine astronomy data and keeps my interest! I'm looking forward to looking back on my progress after 100 hours of lessons with Ryan. :-p

Joseph, 11 lessons with Ryan

Another great lesson

Another great lesson with Ryan, going over my assignments! And slowing everything down to see how each step of the python code works.

James, 32 lessons with Ryan

Great First Lesson

I wasn't sure what to expect with my first lesson. OMG, Ryan is a great tutor and very knowledgeable when teaching Python! He takes the time to break things down so someone like myself, with little knowledge of Python, can begin to understand it. I cannot wait for more lessons with Ryan and to finally understand programming.

James, 32 lessons with Ryan

Above and beyond!

I sent Ryan a practice exam to give him an idea of where I was in my physics 2 class. He was extremely thorough in his explanations when we met online. He even made a few slides ahead time to help explain concepts on the exam! He is extremely friendly and skilled. I only wish more of my professors were like him!

Singh, 3 lessons with Ryan

Ryan F. is an Exceptional Tutor

My daughter has had the privilege of being tutored by the highly educated Professor of Physics, Ryan F., whose expertise, dedication, and effective teaching style made complex topics easily understandable. He is always exceptionally well-prepared ensuring that each lesson is meticulously planned and comprehensive. I strongly recommend him and I am grateful that he inspired her confidence in tackling challenging physics problems.

Jacqueline, 5 lessons with Ryan

Equipped with knowledge and patience

Ryan helped me resolve an issue that I struggled with sometimes. It would be my pleasure to recommend him to anyone. I was able to retrieve images from the database with the help of him. The knowledge and patience he showed me were greatly appreciated.

Jamel, 2 lessons with Ryan
Hourly Rate: $240
Response time: 4 minutes
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