Field
Location (during time of takeover)
School/Institution
| Undergrad | De La Salle University Physics (Materials Science) |
|---|---|
| Masters | National Tsing Hua University Astronomy |
| PhD | Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich Astrophysics |
| Teaching | De La Salle University Rizal Technological University |
Featured on March 15, 2026
Taking us to infinity and beyond this week is Dr Daryl Joe Santos, an Assistant Professorial Lecturer at De La Salle University and Assistant Professor II at Rizal Technological University. Just last July 2026, Daryl graduated with a PhD in Astrophysics at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics/Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.
Daryl graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, specialisation in Materials Science summa cum laude from De La Salle University in the Philippines. He then took up a Masters in Astronomy at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. Under the supervision of 2020 Nobel Physics Laureate Prof Reinhard Genzel and Dr Taro Shimizu, Daryl leveraged the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) to understand the physics of the Broad Line Region for his doctoral dissertation.
Daryl’s research interests span the physics of active galactic nuclei and studying them through various techniques, including interferometry, spectroscopy, and photometry. By doing so, he hopes to shed light on the coevolution of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies across cosmic time.
Some fun facts about Daryl:
- He was very active with the Filipino/Catholic community in Munich. During his time, he started the Sunday School Program and the Young Adult Ministry at Bürgersaalkirche, one of the churches in Munich that offers English masses, and these are still being continued by his predecessors. He had so many friends in Munich that he had three farewell parties over three days before he went back to the Philippines.
- He was a “contesero” back in high school as he joined different local and international math and science competitions. He was also a “BS Org” back in college, with many responsibilities across various organizations, including his local church.
- Travelling, food, gaming, gossiping, and Kpop/Jpop are some of the things that make him happy. His most memorable experiences are the ones when he explored different cities and when he attended TWICE’s concert in Berlin as a VIP back in 2023. All money spent was definitely his, though!
