November 3, 2008

Here are some things to keep in mind this week:

* Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Shawn Domagal-Goldman (UW) will give a talk on "Organic Sulfur Gases as Biosignatures for Anoxic Planets". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

* REU Programs: Research Experience for Undergraduates are great opportunities to go to another institution, do some research and get paid. The applications are due usually the beginning of January through the end of March. Check out the REU page on the Wiki: http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/Undergraduates:REU or start looking for an REU directly at http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm.

* NASA Paid Internship Info Session: On Nov. 24, Washington NASA Space Grant will hold an information session on summer internships at NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and our local industry partners. Student interns are
being recruited for these internships from all fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

WHEN: 3:30-5 p.m. Nov. 24
WHERE: More Hall Room 220 from 3:30-5pm.

Former interns will talk about their experiences and offer insights into the application and interview process. Internships
opportunities are located throughout the United State. Applicants must be US citizens. Snacks will be provided.

* Winter Quarter Classes: Registration is approaching, so sit down and take a minute to review what you should take next quarter. Use DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) to find out which requirements you still need to complete. If you questions please let us know.

* Graduate Program at UT Austin: The Department of Astronomy at Texas is looking for good graduate
students. We are writing to you because you may know students who would enjoy and benefit from the graduate school experience we offer.

Students at Texas can join active programs in most areas of astronomical research including exoplanet searches, star formation and evolution, the ISM, the structure and evolution of galaxies, and cosmology.

Those interested in observational astronomy have access to the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the 2.7-m and 2.1-m telescopes of McDonald Observatory, and the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on Mauna Kea. Many of our astronomers use space observatories such as the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. Texas also offers excellent opportunities for students to learn how to build instruments for optical and infrared astronomy. The size of our faculty working on theoretical astronomy has grown substantially in the past few years, greatly expanding opportunities for students interested in theory.

Historically all our graduate students have had financial support as research assistants, teaching assistants, or from fellowships.

We hope you will help prospective graduate students become aware of the exciting opportunities for research at Texas and of our strong commitment to graduate education. They can learn more about us by visiting our web site at
http://www.as.utexas.edu/astronomy/education/gradstudies.html.