Mack Atkinson
Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics
Physics Department
Division of Mathematical and Natural Sciences
I am a nuclear theorist interested in the many-body dynamics governing nuclear reactions. Before joining Reed, I earned a BA in both physics and mathematics from Vanderbilt University in 2013 and a PhD in physics from Washington University in St. Louis in 2019. After my PhD, I continued investigating nuclear reactions in postdoctoral positions at TRIUMF in Canada from 2019 to 2022 and at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 2022 to 2025. In my research, I use many-body theory to investigate questions that span nuclear physics, astrophysics, and particle physics. My recent work includes studies of solar fusion (see my recent paper here), neutron skins and their connection to neutron stars, precision beta decay, and interactions of electrons and neutrinos with nuclei. These projects are inherently interdisciplinary and provide opportunities for students with a wide range of interests to get involved in meaningful research.