October 25, 2010

Greetings from the Apache Point Observatory! I'm here in New Mexico getting a tour of the observatory, sitting in on an observing run for a night and watching the APOLLO project shoot a laser at the moon. Check out more details about the observatory here: http://www.apo.nmsu.edu/

Fall quarter undergrad meeting: It's time to schedule the quarterly undergraduate meeting. Visit the quick poll to vote for your preferred day/time. https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/sterrs/115114

GRE Physics Exams: For those of you taking the GRE physics exams, don't forget to send your scores back to the UW. Not only is this free to do, but the UW receives the scores about a week ahead of when you get the paper form in the mail so if you want to know your score ahead of time (without paying the extra fees) you can just stop by and ask me!

REU: Research experiences for undergraduates are research programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation. REUs can be found all over the country and typically run during the summer months (with a few exceptions). Check out the REU website and be sure to watch the undergraduate bulletin board across from the computer lab where REU announcements are being posted. REU website: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm

Grad School and Beyond: Now is the time of year where everyone is trying to figure out what might happen after they graduate. The department wiki pages have some great advice about both applying to graduate school and some personal experiences from our current grad students about some alternative ways to get to graduate school. Many of our grad students did not go straight to graduate school and it is interesting to read what they did during their time off. Check out the wiki page: http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/Grad_School (Note: to access the wiki you need to be on a computer in the astro lab.)

Astronomy Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Andy Howell (Las Cumbres Observatory) will give a talk on "Supernovae and Dark Energy from the Supernova Legacy Survey". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

I'll be back in the office on Thursday. Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

October 18, 2010

Good morning everyone! We been having some great fall weather and I hope you all had a moment this weekend to get out and enjoy it! Thanks to everyone who has sent in their pictures for the undergrad photo board... keep sending them in! Let's put a deadline of this Friday to get them to me.

Undergraduate Reps: Congratulations to Ben Tofflemire and Meghin Spencer your new astro undergrad reps! Ben and Meghin were running unopposed making the process easy this year. Please feel free to talk with Ben and Meghin if you have questions or concerns. They will be attending faculty meetings, relaying important information to you regarding the undergrad program and are your official liaisons to the Department. You can often find Ben and Meghin in the astro lab if you need to talk with them!

Winter Time Schedule: The winter quarter time schedule is on the web! http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/WIN2011/astro.html Start planning your winter quarter classes now and feel free to stop in to chat if you have questions about what to take or just want to run a schedule past me. Registration begins Nov. 5 for graduating seniors and continues on from there. Be sure to have your classes planned so you do not miss out when your registration date arrives. Also please let me know if you notice major conflicts between Astronomy and Physics courses.

SEBA Career Fair: Interested in working after you graduate? Want to see what opportunities there are for you? Attend the 31st Annual UW Science and Engineering Career Fair! On Wednesday, Oct. 27 head over to the Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmunson Pavilion to meet 100 of the top tech companies from around the country. The career fair is from Noon - 5pm. Be sure to check out more details at the website, including tips on how to prepare for the career fair: http://www.uwseba.org/career-fair.html.

Astrobiology Seminar: This Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, James Kasting (Penn State - on sabbatical here at UW for ~1mo.) will give a talk on "Atmospheric Composition and Climate on the Early Earth".

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Adam Leroy (NRAO) will give a talk on "The Star Formation-Gas Connection in Nearby Disk Galaxies". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

Page O'Announcements: Don't forget to check out the Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/. This blog is updated regularly with campus events, study abroad info sessions, volunteer opportunities, jobs, scholarships and more! Be sure to also check out the great links on the right side of the page that has tips on graduate school, careers and more all related specifically to Astronomy.

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

October 12, 2010

I hope you all had a great weekend. This Thursday you are all invited to attend the undergrad-grad pizza lunch! Stop by the reading room (B356A) at noon for $1/slice pizza and some great conversation.

Computer Lab Cleanup: A quick reminder to please keep the computer lab clean! This space is for everyone to use and gets messy quickly when school is in session. Please remember to pick up after yourself, do not leave any personal belongings in the lab unattended and to log off your computer when you leave for others to use. Custodial staff only has time for minimal cleaning (trash cans, light sweeping) so it is up to each one of you to keep the area clean and continue keeping it a great place to gather.

Undergrad Photos: Many of you may have noticed that the current undergraduate photos by the drinking fountain are out of date. This is the official call to send me a photo of yourself to be added to the mug shots! Please send me a digital photo of yourself (of course, one that is appropriate to put up for the department) within the next week to have your photo included.

Astrobiology Seminar: This Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Britney Schmidt (Univ. of Texas - Austin) will give a talk on "Astrobiology in the Asteroid Belt?".

Astronomy Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Allen Shafter (SDSU) will give a talk on "Nova Rates and Properties Across Differing Stellar Populations". Join us in the foyer at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies.

Have a great week!
Sarah

October 4, 2010

Welcome to the first full week of classes! Read below for information on becoming the department undergrad rep, scholarships and events happening this week.

Undergraduate Rep: Every year there is an undergraduate rep that attends faculty meetings and provides input to the Department on issues that may impact undergraduates. We would like to continue this tradition but this year have 2 students serve as the undergrad rep. Ideally we would like to have one rep be a senior in their final year and the other rep someone who is just starting the ASTR 32X series. There are over 70 astronomy undergraduates and we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to be included. At this time I am collecting names of those that wish to be considered for this position. You can nominate yourself or someone else. Please send names no later than this Thursday, Oct. 7 at noon. Voting will happen soon after I collect names.

Graduation Applications: If you would like to graduate this autumn quarter you must submit a graduation application no later than Oct. 15. Graduation applications need to be filled out for each department that you are majoring in (i.e. both Physics and Astronomy). If you will be graduating in winter, spring or summer you are also encouraged to fill out a graduation application as early as possible.

Mary Gates Research Scholarships: Looking for a great research scholarship? The Mary Gates Research Scholarship provides students with $4,000 paid out over two quarters. The deadline to apply for the research scholarship is October 22. http://www.washington.edu/uaa/mge/apply/research/index.htm

AstroLunch: Tuesday at noon in Phys/Astr B356A (aka the reading room) join the Department Chair, Suzanne Hawley and Department Associate Chair, Scott Anderson for an informative presentation on the Apache Point Observatory (APO). The presentation will discuss the current state of the 3.5m and the 2.5m (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) telescopes and projects. Feel free to bring your lunch!

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Joseph Levy (Portland State University) will give a talk on "Walking to Mars: What Antarctic Permafrost Suggests About Martian Climate, Geology and Habitability".

Astronomy Colloquium: Join us this Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 for a talk given by Marcia Rieke (Univ of Arizona). Dr. Rieke's talk will be on "Astro2010, the Decadal Survey: How We've Picked the Next Big Thing(s)". Come find out the process of which projects are selected to be the future direction of the field. Don't forget, coffee, tea and cookies are served at 3:45pm in the foyer. All are welcome!

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah