Ralph E. Pudritz is a theoretical astrophysicist tenured at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
He is an expert in the field of astrophysical jets,[1] particularly those involved in star formation.
He accepted a position at McMaster in 1986, and has since been on research leaves to the Max Planck Institute, the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Caltech among several others.
The Long-Range Planning Council of the National Research Council of Canada chose Pudritz to chair its 1999 plan for the future of astrophysics in Canada.
In 2004 Pudritz spearheaded the formation of the Origins Institute, a multi-disciplinary scientific endeavour based at McMaster, and became its first director.