New Mexico State University
Mountain View, California, United States
My astronomical research efforts are focused on understanding the evolution of galaxies over the history of the Universe, with a focus from the present to redshifts z ~ 1.5, where instrumentation enables a rich, detailed set of observations for a significant fraction of the total galaxy population.
I am also active in developing resources for astronomy education, both in the classroom and through distance education. I am the PI for the General Education Astronomy Source (GEAS) project, and have developed a set of resources for traditional and distance-learning undergraduate introductory astronomy courses. These materials include an online tutor with over 12,000 questions, hints, and solutions covering key concepts in general astronomy, with an instructor interface that enables guidance and review for individual students and for cohorts, a sixteen-week set of hands-on and data-driven laboratory experiments based on modern images and spectra of planetary surfaces, stars, and galaxies, and a set of short films highlighting the efforts of diverse individuals working in STEM fields designed to combat stereotype threat.
I am currently developing additional laboratory experiments focused on finding and analyzing novae in the nearby Andromeda Galaxy, studying near-Earth asteroids, and performing astrometry, photometry, visualization, and analysis on these and other astronomical objects within images and spectra.
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2B - Using Astronomy Education Simulations: Make-and-Take
Thursday, August 22, 2024
11:00 AM – 11:50 AM US PDT
