Astro Weekly Emails

February 6, 2012

2012-02-06T14:15:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

What great weather we've been having! Hard to be indoors! Lots of announcements and important information in this week's email so read on! Last week's undergrad meeting notes can be found here: http://astroemails.blogspot.com/

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Every spring the symposium is held on campus to showcase undergraduate research. This is a great opportunity for those working on projects to share your results. Students will often present a poster but there are oral presentations as well. I strongly encourage anyone working on research to consider participating. Talk with your research adviser about submitting an abstract; the deadline is February 24. http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/

Integrated Sciences needs your help:

Dear science student,

A group of faculty at the University of Washington has been developing a new Integrated Sciences undergraduate degree, designed in part to meet the needs of students interested in secondary school science teaching, museum education, science writing, science policy, or professional careers with a science or technology orientation.

We would like to learn whether such a program would have interested you if it were available when you chose your major, and so we are writing to ask you to participate in a short survey, which you can find at

https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/rsi/154594

The survey consists of 8 questions. It may take as little as two to three minutes to complete, or perhaps as long as five or six, depending on whether you provide an answer to the open-ended question at the end. We welcome your response either way. We very much value any advice you can give us and hope you are able to complete this survey.

Sincerely,

Ron Irving
Director, Integrated Sciences Program
Professor of Mathematics
University of Washington

Space Grant Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP):
The Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium is happy to announce that the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) application is now open. SURP is a 9 week summer undergraduate research opportunity at the University of Washington for students majoring in the STEM fields.

University of Washington research labs and/or faculty who are recruiting STEM undergraduate students or that have a specific student that they would like to co-fund with SURP may apply for the program by activating the 'Faculty Request' hyperlink located on the webpage listed below. Space Grant - SURP supports summer undergraduate research only.

The application due date is April 13, 2012 and the 9 week summer research student stipend is $4,000 for full-time or $2,000 for part-time work .

You may find SURP details and the Catalyst WebQ application at the following link: http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html

Astro Undergrad website: Has lots of great information for you on careers, graduate school and more! https://catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/sterrs/23482/

Page O'Announcements: Lots of announcements and campus events, including a Peace Corps information session. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

1/13/12 Meeting Notes

2012-02-06T09:22:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

Here are the meeting minutes from Tuesday's undergraduate meeting just in case you were unable to attend:

Paula mentioned a NASA opportunity for those looking for a summer research internship. See the ad at the bottom of the email.

Spring quarter class discussion: Several great classes are being offered in the spring, including ASTR 313 (a joint class with History being taught by Prof. Sullivan); ASTR 323 (same textbook as this year's ASTR 322), 480 (data analysis) and 497 (exoplanets; instructor is looking for students that have taken some courses in the ASTR 32X series).

Summer quarter we are offering the 481 observing class. Enrollment is limited to 12 seats due to how the project and observatory time is structured. A suggestion was made to limit enrollment to seniors during first period registration. Dr. Laws agreed about this after discussion and the change has been implemented for this summer.

2012-2013 Class Schedule: The Astronomy class schedule for next year is available here: https://catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/sterrs/23482/ This is a tentative schedule with lots of questions and possible changes still. If you have concerns let Sarah G. know.

Additional Resources for Students: This website is being updated for students and I encourage you to check it out. https://catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/sterrs/23482/ There's some great information about graduate school for those applying or thinking about applying.

Graduate School/Physics GRE: Those interested in applying to graduate school next year will need to take the Physics GRE subject exam in October and/or November 2012. In preparation for these exams, the Department is considering hosting a study group this summer. If you are interested please let Sarah G. know.

Faculty Search: Your undergraduate representatives, Miles, Nancy and Brenda are working hard to make sure the undergrad opinion counts as we search for a new faculty member to join us. The faculty search is focused on hiring someone with a background in theory. As part of the candidate interviews they are giving colloquium talks and teaching a graduate-level course. The reps are attending the course and providing feedback, but we encourage everyone to attend our Thursday colloquia to listen to their talks.

League of Astronomers: It's back! After a several year hiatus, the astronomy club (aka League of Astronomers) is making a glorious come back. Thanks to 5 of your peers the League will be an official club at UW. Stay tuned for more information about events, possible League attire and more!

Thanks,
Sarah

January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T20:37:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! Welcome back to classes after the unexpected break! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, January 31 at 3pm in PAA A216 for our winter quarter undergrad astronomy meeting. We'll talk about expected classes for the next year, applying to REUs and much more! Hope to see you all there.

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Every spring the symposium is held on campus to showcase undergraduate research. This is a great opportunity for those working on projects to share your results. Students will often present a poster but there are oral presentations as well. I strongly encourage anyone working on research to consider participating. Talk with your research adviser about submitting an abstract; the deadline is February 24. http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/

Spring Quarter Class Schedule: If you're a proactive planner like me, you'll be excited to know that the spring quarter class schedule will go live either this Friday or next Monday. As usual, let me know asap if you see any major physics and astronomy class overlaps. I meet with Physics before we submit the schedules for each quarter to avoid overlaps but sometimes schedules change, so let me know if you catch something.

Credit holds on accounts: Holds have been placed on student accounts for those of you that have too many credits. Please let me know if you have a hold so we can fill out the correct paperwork before registration for spring happens.

AAS posters: For those of you that presented a poster at the AAS meeting and don't know what to do with the poster, consider letting me post it on the hallway wall in the Department! The posters along the wall are older and I would like to replace some of them if you don't mind having your poster up. Swing by anytime to drop the poster off.

Colloquium: Join us this Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102 for a talk by Mark Krumholz (UC Santa Cruz) on "The Origin of IMF". Don't forget about the coffee, tea and cookies served at 3:45pm in the foyer!

Page O'announcements: Lots of study abroad programs listed! Don't forget the important links on the right side of the page that has astronomy-specific information. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!
Sarah

January 17, 2012

2012-01-17T15:02:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! Hope you all got to enjoy the long weekend and some of the snow. While it's hard to know what the next few days will bring us with the weather, make sure to check the official UW website to see if campus is open. You can also sign up to get text alerts here: http://emergency.washington.edu/ When the campus suspends operations that means there's no classes and most offices are closed.

REU Applications: Applications for summer research experiences are approaching! You can find a listing of summer opportunities here: https://catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/sterrs/23482/146967

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Every spring the symposium is held on campus to showcase undergraduate research. This is a great opportunity for those working on projects to share your results. Students will often present a poster but there are oral presentations as well. I strongly encourage anyone working on research to consider participating. Talk with your research adviser about submitting an abstract; the deadline is February 24. http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/

Building Permits: Don't forget, if you're in the building after hours you need to have an orange building card with you at all times. If you have building keys I have them pre-printed for you on my desk so swing by to pick yours up today.

Colloquium: We do have a colloquium scheduled for this week barring flight cancellations due to snow. Natalie Batalha (San Jose State Univ) will give a talk on the latest "Kepler Results". So join us on Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102 with coffee, tea and cookies served at 3:45pm.

Page O'announcements: Some study abroad opportunities as well as some great campus events are posted: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week,
Sarah

January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T16:25:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

Today is the last day to add classes to your schedule without the registration fee, so be sure to get the pink forms in if you are adding research credits.

Building Use Permits: Many of you have already come by to pick up your building permits but I still have a fair number. Please stop by to get yours today if you have building keys and plan to be here after hours.

Photos for the undergrad board: Want your picture on the undergrad board? Send me a photo of yourself!

Computer Lab Reminder: Just a quick reminder to please clean up after yourself in the computer lab as the area is not served by custodial staff. Books being borrowed from the shelf need to be returned and please do not leave food/drinks out.

Colloquium: Starts next week! More details next Monday.

Mary Gates Research Scholarship: $4,000

Application deadline: Friday, January 27, 5pm

Information Sessions (held in 171 Mary Gates Hall):

Monday, January 9, 2:30

Tuesday, January 10, 4:30

Wednesday, January 11, 1:30

Applications for both scholarships are online. Also find more information and instructions on our website.

www.washington.edu/uaa/mge

Page O'Announcements: Updated with some great campus events, study abroad opportunities and more: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Thanks,

December 5, 2011

2011-12-05T13:21:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!Welcome to the last week of classes for autumn quarter!

REU Applications: Looking for a summer research project? Check out an REU! These summer research programs are paid and often include a travel stipend. Check out the listing of Astronomy REUs; http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm Applications often require at least one letter of recommendation and a set of transcripts so be sure to plan ahead if you're applying. Deadlines fall anywhere from mid-January through February.

AAS Poster Prep: For those presenting research at the AAS (www.aas.org) meeting in January we are offering a few different resources to help you prepare. 1) Poster design: check out the Undergraduate Research Program's list of poster design tips to get you started (http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/posterparticipants.html); 2) Browse through the undergrad research posters hanging on the walls of the 3rd floor (I think about 1/3 of these are from AAS meetings); 3) Check your poster with your research adviser and finalize all the details. Once you have the poster ready you need to think about what to say to those that stop by your poster so we're offering a poster talk prep session on January 4 @3:30pm in the reading room. Bring a format of your poster (digital on a thumb drive, printed, proof, whatever you have so we can see it) and come prepared to give us a short 1-2 min. talk of your research. Key points you should prepare for your talk are 1) what exactly did you do; and 2) why is what you did important?

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, we have former UW PhD student now faculty member at Haverford College, Prof. Beth Willman giving a talk on "Ultra-faint dwarfs, dark matter, and galaxy formation". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

New look for the Page O'Announcements: Take a look at the new and improved POA! A new look and some revised important Astronomy links on the side: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/Have a great final week in classes!

Best,Sarah

November 28, 2011

2011-11-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend. I know I did and I'm still eating left over turkey. A couple of great talks happening this week and long with a research opportunity for those interested in radio astronomy.

Undergraduate Course Assistants needed for Winter 2012: The Department of Astronomy is hiring additional course assistants for winter quarter. Assistants will be mostly grading for introductory level classes but also assisting with lab setup, photocopying and a variety of other tasks that support instructors and teaching assistants. No teaching duties will be assigned. The position has the possibility of renewal for spring quarter based upon course needs, funding and job performance.

Minimum qualification: Completion of Astronomy 321, 322 and 323. Preference will be given to applicants with a minimum 3.5 grade in each course.

Course assistants will be paid $10/hour for up to 5-10 hours/week during the quarter.

To apply: Submit your resume and unofficial transcript to Sarah Garner in Phys/Astr C319 or in her mailbox by December 1 (Thursday).

Radio Astronomy Research:
Call for students who want to work with the Student Radio Telescope

This message is to invite Astronomy majors to work with the Student Radio Telescope (a 7-ft-diameter dish on the roof of a nearby building). It is best if you have had the ASTR 321-22-23 sequence (esp. 322) and an EM course (but you do not have to know electronics). If you are interested in learning about the basics of radio astronomy and doing any of the projects below, please sign up for 1 hr of ASTR 499 - Sarah can give you an entry code. If you're interested in more than 1 hr credit, then we should talk beforehand. It is not absolutely necessary to sign up for 499, but it helps the Dept. if you do so.
We will meet once weekly (exact time chosen to fit everyone's schedules) to discuss data, etc. from the previous week, as well as plans for the following week. For one hour credit, you will be expected to attend this meeting, observe at the SRT for at least 1.5 hrs per week, and analyze your data as needed.

- Woody Sullivan

======================

Possible projects with the Student Radio Telescope (SRT)

- monitor the 1400 MHz flux of the sun (we are at the start of the next cycle of the 11-yr sunspot cycle, and the radio intensity varies a lot, too)

- map the galactic plane in continuum radiation

- study the distribution of atomic hydrogen by measuring the 21 cm line at various locations

- study the rotation of the Milky Way by measuring shifts in the velocities of the 21 cm line

- detect very weak sources such as the Crab Nebula (Tau A), the supernova remnant Cas A, the galactic center Sgr A, the H II region Orion A (Orion nebula), and the Moon

- develop some standard software for data analysis

- work on Web pages for the SRT

- work on write-ups of standard projects (such as those above) for future students to use

2012 Summer Internships for Undergraduate Students: 10 week research experience; $5000 stipend plus travel expenses. Areas of research: Engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological/life sciences, environmental science, emergency and incident management, social sciences. Projects offered at: National research laboratories: Argonne, Idaho, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, Sandia, Savannah River. DHS laboratories: Transportation Security Laboratory. Other research facilities, including Air Force research Laboratory, Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology. Locations include: CA, CO, ID, IL, MD, NM, NJ, OH, SC, TN, WA & VA. US citizenship required. Application deadline: January 5, 2012 www.orau.gov/dhsinternships Administered by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

AstroLunch: This week we have TWO astro lunch talks. Tuesday at Noon, Renbin Yan (NYU) will give a talk on "The Puzzle of LINERs and the Warm Ionized Gas in Early-type Galaxies" then on Wednesday at 12:30 Andrew Youdin (Harvard CfA) will give a talk on "Planet Formation Near and Far". Feel free to bring your own lunch to these informal lunch-time talks. All talks take place in the Reading Room, PAB B356A.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 3pm in PAA A118, Aomawa Shields (UW Grad) will give an overview discussion on her summer research rotation at NASA. Coffee, tea and cookies served at 2:30pm in the lobby.

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, Ben Brown (Univ. of Wisconsin- Madison) will give a talk on "How Stars like the Sun get their Spots". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea, cookies and conversation!

Page O'Announcements: Updated with some interesting looking winter quarter classes for those of you still looking: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

November 14, 2011

2011-11-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend! Here are some things going on in the Department this week.

Graduate School Webinar: APS Webinars is offering an exciting, free video webinar next week, entitled, “Graduate School in Physics: a Minority Perspective,” on Thursday, November 17 at 3:00 pm EDT. Senior graduate student, Dwayne Joseph at Florida A&M University, will present his unique perspective on some of his experiences in graduate school and tips on succeeding while there. Students will learn what goes on in physics graduate programs and gather ideas for getting the most out of their experiences. This webinar will be moderated by Peter Muhoro, APS Minority Bridge Project Manager, and Arlene Modeste Knowles, APS Career & Diversity Programs Manager. Because video feeds are limited, we can only accommodate 20 students. Those interested in participating should send an email request to Bushraa Khatib (khatib@aps.org) with their name, institution, and year (e.g. junior/senior). Race/ethnicity and gender are optional. The first requests will be considered first.

Registration for ASTR 300: Astr 300 is full, but if you still want/need the course please email Dr. Toby Smith (smith@astro.washington.edu) to be added to the wait list.

Photos for undergrad board: Keep those photos coming in! The board is looking better but could still use more of you on it!

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 3pm in PAA A118, Dr. David Des Marais of the NASA Ames Research Center will be presenting a talk titled: "Exploring Mars for Evidence of Habitable Environments and Life". Coffee, tea and cookies are served at 2:30 in the foyer.

AstroLunch: On Wednesday this week at Noon in PAB B356A, Sarah Ballard (Harvard) will give a talk on "Validating and Characterizing Transiting Exoplanets from Space with EPOXI, Kepler, and Warm Spitzer". You're welcome to bring your lunch to this informal talk.

Astronomy Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, Shirley Ho (Lawrenece Bekerely Lab) will give a talk on "What can you do with the Largest Multi-color image?" A talk about SDSS a cosmology. Join us in the foyer at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Lots of campus events going on http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ so check them out!

Have a great week,
Sarah

November 7, 2011

2011-11-07T15:39:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

Hope you had a great weekend. Remember that this Friday is Veteran's Day so there are no scheduled classes and the building will be locked. Also, good luck to all the GRE Physics test takers this Saturday!!

Astrolab Computers: Remote users on the astrolab computers have been preventing classes from using them. Please be socially responsible in using the astrolab machines:
1) Use condor for long running/CPU intensive jobs.
2) I you need to use them interactively log off during class hours, or if someone is logged on at the console.

Phys 225 in Winter: Many of you have inquired about taking Phys 225 without having completed Phys 227. Prof. Garcia will be holding a 227 knowledge test in a few weeks that will determine if he will let you into the course. Please email him if you would like to be added to the list to be notified when the "placement test" will take place. I have a few more details if anyone needs them.

Interested in Teaching? The UW College of Education is hosting a Masters in Teaching information session for secondary-level teaching on 11/21 at 10am. Check in at Miller 206. RSVP at: http://education.washington.edu/infosessions Please stop by to see Paula Szkody or myself if you have questions about teaching careers. Astronomy students will often obtain an endorsement to teach Earth and Space Sciences and/or Physics. Read more about teaching options here: http://education.washington.edu/areas/tep/secondary/index.html

NW Women in Physics Conference in January 2012: This is a great free conference for physics/astronomy women! I highly encourage you all to attend. http://depts.washington.edu/nwuwpc/Northwest_Undergraduate_Women_in_Physics_Conference/Home.html

Page O'Announcements: Updated all the time with campus events, courses for winter and more: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

AstroLunch: Tuesday at Noon in PAB B356A (that conference room off the undergrad lab), we host an informal talk where you can bring your lunch. This week we have, Antonela Monachesi (Univ. of Michigan) giving a talk on "The resolved stellar populations of M32".

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 3pm in PAA A118, Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar (University of Toronto, Geology) will give a talk on "Geochemical Prospecting for Microbial Life in the Deep Subsurface Biosphere".

Astronomy Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, Dr. Jennifer Johnson (Ohio State Univ.) will give a talk on "Illuminating the Middle Ages of the Milky Way". Join us in the foyer at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies.

Have a great week!

October 3, 2011

2011-10-10T15:13:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the first full week of classes! This week there are a lot of talks and interesting things you can get involved with. Read below for more details.

Planetarium Training: Want to start or continue giving shows to K-12 groups? Attend the quarterly planetarium training session on Friday, October 7 at 3:30pm at the Planetarium (PAA A220). Our planetarium coordinator will walk you through all the details including some slight changes made to the system. The Department requires undergrads to be trained quarterly in order to check out planetarium keys so be sure to keep up to date on your training!

Building Use Permits: If you have building keys you must also have a building use permit to allow you access after hours and on the weekends. The police *do* make rounds and will ask you for this permit so don't get caught without one!

Undergrad Representative Nominations: We are now accepting nominations for the Departmental undergraduate representatives. There are two representatives (a junior/senior level and freshmen/sophomore level) that act as liaisons to the chair of the Department. Reps will provide feedback about the undergrad major, attend faculty meetings and bring comments from undergrads to the chair's attention. These roles are important to the Department and also a great item to be able to put on your resume! Nominations can be for yourself or someone else. Please fill out the nomination no later than Thursday, October 6 at Noon: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/sterrs/69246

GRE Physics November Test deadline: Those of you wanting to take the GRE Physics exam in November need to register by this Friday, October 7. I've heard from other students that you'll have to go outside of Seattle for the exam since this location is full. www.gre.com

Astronomy Movie Night: Mark your calendars for Oct. 19 at 7pm for the Astronomy majors movie night. We'll watch a sci-fi flick of your choosing, pointing out obvious fails at using science while laughing and snacking. We'll meet in one of the lecture halls in the a-wing; exact room will be announced closer to the date.

Colloquium: Join us on Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102 as Sarah Brough (Australian Astronomical Observatory) gives at a talk on "GAMA: from little blue fuzzies to massive red monsters and beyond". Come by early at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies in the foyer!

Volunteer Opportunity: Astronomy-Student Intern Wanted; Internship: Unpaid; Hours: 3 hours/week – (one day from 3-6PM); Duration: Until June 2012

826 Seattle (www.826seattle.org), a non-profit youth after school tutoring and writing center in the Greenwood neighborhood, seeks an undergraduate astronomy student to intern with us. This intern would help our students (ages 6-18) explore the magic of the WorldWide Telescope (WWT) program. The intern would come once a week to 826 Seattle’s free after school tutoring program (which runs Monday-Thursday, 3-6) and act as the visiting astronomer while helping students explore the cosmos using the WWT program. Qualified applicants should be familiar with the WWT (experience making tours a plus!), comfortable working with students one-on-one of a variety of ages, and be able to field basic astronomy questions that students might have inspired by their use of the WWT.

This is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates interested in the growing use of the WWT as an educational tool, and those interested in practicing how to communicate astronomy concepts and a love for science to novice audiences.

Qualified applicants should email 826 Seattle Programs Coordinator, Alicia Craven (alicia@826seattle.org) with a resume and availability.

Page O'Announcements: Looking for more campus events or maybe a job? Check out the page o'announcements blog: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

October 10, 2011

2011-10-10T14:03:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Classes are well underway and we have lots of events and things to keep in mind this week. Read below for more information and feel free to stop by if you have questions. Also, good luck to all the GRE Physics takers this Saturday!!
Mary Gates Research Scholarships: Apply for a $4,000 scholarship to support you while you are engaged in research with a faculty mentor. Research happens in all disciplines! Undergraduates conducting scholarly work in the arts, humanities, social sciences and other disciplines are encouraged to apply. Deadline: Friday, October 21, 5pm. Please learn more on our website: http://www.washington.edu/uaa/mge/apply/research/index.htm
Movie Night: October 19 at 7pm, join your fellow undergrads in a PAA lecture hall (room TBA) for a movie night! Bring your favorite sci-fi movie and we'll vote on which one to watch. Some snacks will be provided but also bring some to share!

NW Women in Physics Conference: This annual conference will be in January 2012 here in Seattle! I encourage all of the women to attend this free and fun conference. More details here: http://depts.washington.edu/nwuwpc/Northwest_Undergraduate_Women_in_Physics_Conference/Home.html

Physics colloquium: Today at 4pm in PAA A102, join astronomers to hear about the research that won the recent Nobel Prize!

Astronomy Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, join us to hear David Radburn-Smith (UW) talk about "The GHOSTS Survey: Probing the Outskirts of Disk Galaxies". Coffee, tea and cookies are served at 3:45pm in the foyer!

Science and Engineering Career Fair
PLANNING TO ATTEND THE UPCOMING UW SCIENCE & ENGINEERING CAREER FAIR?
In response to the overwhelming demand by both students and industry representatives, SEBA and The Career Center will be offering you an additional opportunity to get your resume to recruiters, through the 2011 Science and Engineering Career Fair Resume Book.

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR RESUME IN THIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RESUME BOOK?
Adding your resume to the 2011 Science and Engineering Career Fair Resume Book is easy and free. Simply log into your HuskyJobs account and submit it to the 2011 Science and Engineering Career Fair Resume Book. For more details on how to enter your info, create a HuskyJobs account, and/or prepare for the upcoming career fair, please see: http://uwseba.com/information-for-students . This book is open to all UW students and Alumni.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE FAIR? DON'T DESPAIR
If you are unable to attend the fair you are still eligible to participate in this resume book! There are also a number of internship and career positions available for students on the HuskyJobs (www.huskyjobs.washington.edu/students) website.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FAIR:
Science & Engineering Career Fair
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Bank of America Arena in the Hec Ed Pavilion, UW Seattle campus.
12:00pm-5:00pm.
Information for students http://uwseba.com/information-for-students
List of companies attending http://uwseba.com/companies-attending-the-career-fair
The annual University of Washington Science and Engineering Career Fair, hosted by the Science & Engineering Business Association (SEBA,) is geared towards uniting science and engineering students with the continually growing number of companies in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the Nation.

Page O'Announcements: Looking for a job or something to do? Check out the Page O'Announcements blog. I post all the spam email here so you can browse through something that may be of interest to you. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Sarah

September 26, 2011

2011-09-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome (back) to the new school year! Read below to learn about important Astronomy majors announcements and the various events happening in the Department. For those of you new to UW and/or to Astronomy, I send out an email once a week that has lots of important information. For random campus events and things that are not necessarily astronomy related, these get posted on the Page O'Announcements blog: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Faculty Adviser: On behalf of the undergrads and the Department, I want to thank Dr. Chris Laws for serving as the faculty adviser this last year. Back from sabbatical and ready to advise, Dr. Paula Szkody is available to answer any questions you have about careers, grad school, research and much more!

Building Use Permits: If you have keys to the Physics/Astronomy Building, remember that you will need to pick up a new Building Use Permit for the fall quarter. New permits can be found on my desk and if I'm not around, ask anyone in the front office.

Astronomy Movie Night: Mark your calendars for Oct. 19 at 7pm for the Astronomy majors movie night. We'll watch a sci-fi flick of your choosing, pointing out obvious fails at using science while laughing and snacking. We'll meet in one of the lecture halls in the a-wing; exact room will be announced closer to the date.

Photos for the Undergrad Board: The undergrad photo directory board needs updating! Please send me a posting-appropriate photo and you'll be added to the board.

Astro Lunch: On Tuesday at Noon in B356A (aka the reading room) Katie Schlesinger (Ohio State Univ.) will give a talk on "The Metallicity Distribution Functions of Cool Stars in the SEGUE Survey". Join us for this informal lunch talk and feel free to bring your lunch!

Colloquium: This Thursday, join us for the State of the Department -- our annual address and departmental party. The State of the Department will start at 3:45pm in Phys/Astr A102. Next Thursday we'll start our "normal" colloquium series at 4pm.

Enjoy the first week of classes!

Best,
Sarah

May 2, 2011

2011-05-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

We have a couple of great Astronomy Undergrad events coming up so please read on! Next Friday (May 13) is my last day before I'm on a 2 week vacation, stop in this week or next if you have any questions. While I'm gone, Dr. Chris Laws (laws@astro.washington.edu) is available to answer any questions.

Grad/Undergrad Pizza Lunch: Tuesday, May 10 at Noon in Phys/Astr B356 (aka the reading room) the grads invite you to join them for $1/slice pizza and some great conversation. RSVP to Alexia so she knows how much pizza to buy: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/arlewis/132566

Poster Prep Session: Are you presenting a poster at the Undergrad Research Symposium? What about at the AAS spring meeting? If so, join us on Wednesday, May 11 at 3pm in Phys/Astr A216 to help you prepare your "elevator talk" -- that 1-2 min. overview spiel you give people walking past your poster. We'll also give you feedback on your poster if it hasn't been printed so please bring your poster in whatever format it currently exists (thumb drive, proof, sketch...).

Phys 324 (Quantum II) Summer 2011: Physics 324 will be offered this summer. It's not on the time schedule yet but I'm told by Physics that it will be soon. The course will be offered 8:30-9:30 MWThF. Keep checking the time schedule if you're interested in taking this course.

AstroLunch: This Tuesday at Noon in B356A (the reading room), join us for the continuation of last week's astro lunch by PACS Director, Richard Coffey on "The Astro SAN Meltdown and How we in Astronomy manage risk". So if you're wondering why you got all those emails about computing issues, this is the place to find out why! Feel free to bring your lunch.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Alan McConnachie (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics) will be giving a talk on "Galaxy Archaeology in the near field". Join us in the foyer at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies!

Astrobiology Special Lecture: On Monday, May 9 at 7pm in Kane 210, Ralph Lorenz (Johns Hopkins University - APL) will give a talk on "Unveiling Saturn's Moon Titan". No pre-registration needed, just show up.

Page O'Announcements: Don't forget to check out the blog with lots of interesting summer quarter classes being posted: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

April 28, 2011 - Grad/Undergrad Pizza Lunch

2011-04-29T08:16:00.001-07:00

Hi Astronomy majors,

My name is Alexia Lewis, and I'm a graduate student here in the astronomy department. I am writing to invite you all to the spring quarter undergrad-grad pizza lunch.

This quarter's pizza lunch will take place on Tuesday May 10th from 12-1. If you can't make it for the whole time, feel free to stop by in the beginning or at the end as well. As before, the department will subsidize the cost, so pizza is only $1/slice!

This is a fun, casual event where we can get together and chat about anything and everything, astronomy or non-astronomy related:
- summer REUS
- grad school
- research
- whatever you'd like!

Please let me know if you plan on coming by responding to this catalyst survey so that we know how much pizza to get.

https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/arlewis/132566

Please come join the grad students for an inexpensive lunch and some good conversation!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me an email!

Alexia

April 25, 2011

2011-04-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the great weather we had over the weekend! Please read below for notes from the undergrad meeting last week as well as things that are going on this week. Also for a heads up, I'm going to be out of town May 16-30 returning on May 31 so if you want to meet about classes or anything else, please catch me before vacation as I will not have email access while I'm gone.

Mtg Notes:
Changes in Physics degree requirements and course prerequisites. The new Physics degree has been in progress for several years, but will officially be effective Autumn 2011. These new changes will not impact any currently declared students, so if you're not also declared a Physics major, you should consider declaring this spring or summer. The new Physics major will be split into different tracks: Comprehensive, Applied, Biophysics and Teaching. The changes will mean ~7 additional physics credits to complete both Astronomy and Physics. Physics course prerequisites are also changing (ex: Phys 227 for Phys 321 instead of Phys 228). While these prerequisites will allow students to schedule courses a bit easier, I still caution you to make sure you are prepared with adequate course content prior to enrolling in upper-division courses. Again see me if you have questions about these.

MRO and ASTR 481. Chris Laws will be holding a cleaning party at Manastash Ridge Observatory this spring. Details about this will be sent out soon so watch your inbox!

Autumn quarter class list: available on the web now!

Building Safety Reminder: With the arrival of spring, comes spending more and more later hours in the Physics/Astronomy building, especially students observing with ASTR 480. Please be sure that you are being careful and following personal safety tips such as: stay in well-lit areas, avoid walking alone, carry a safety whistle (available free from UW Police), be aware of what's going on around you, follow your gut instincts and don't be afraid of appearing rude. If you are feeling uncomfortable in any situation, leave. Call 911 if you feel unsafe or suspect a suspicious person.

End of quarter clean up: The computer lab is a space for undergrads to work, study and collaborate! This space is best when it's clean and organized which it tends to not be during the quarter. Stay tuned for details on an end-of-quarter clean up!

Physics GRE Studying: A study guide for the Physics GRE is available to students interested in studying this summer. The Department will assist with organizing a study group and invite faculty, postdocs and grads to visit to help with answering questions. We'll send out a formal email about the study group in mid-June.

GRE exam changes: The general GRE exam scoring is changing. Because of the changes, score reporting will be delayed. Those needing reports prior to Nov. 2011 must take the GRE before August 1, 2011. Exams taken Aug 1 - Nov reporting will occur in Nov. 2011. Normal score reporting will resume Dec. 2011.

Undergrad Symposium and AAS poster talk prep session: We did this in January and are going to hold another session on May 11 at 3pm in Phys/Astr A216. If you are presenting a poster at the UW Undergrad research symposium or the AAS spring meeting, please bring a electronic copy of your poster and we can help you figure out your 1-2 minute poster talk! This is a great way to prepare for the meeting, since you'll get TONS of people asking you to tell you about your research. Many just want a quick overview of the importance of your research so we'll help you create this spiel and also give feedback on your poster before printing.

Grad/undergrad Pizza Lunch: on May 10 at Noon, join the graduate students in the reading room for a pizza lunch! Pizza will be $1/slice. This is a great chance for you all to meet our graduate students and chat about life as an astronomer. More details will be sent out soon, including an RSVP link so we know how many people will be attending.

Astrolunch: Want to know why you've been getting spammed with email about computing issues in our Department? Attend this week's astro lunch talk! Our IT director, Richard Coffey will give a talk on "The Astro SAN Meltdown and How We in Astronomy Manage Risk". Tuesday at Noon in the reading room, B356A.

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Heather Knutson (UC Berkeley) will give a talk on "Exploring the Diversity of Exoplanetary Atmospheres". Join us for coffee, tea and cookies in the foyer at 3:45!

Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ Updated with a great post-bachelor's degree astronomy job!

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

April 18, 2011

2011-04-18T14:43:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Don't forget about the undergrad meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, at 4pm in Phys/Astr A216. We will discuss classes, GREs, upcoming changes to degree requirements, take a group photo and discuss anything else you want to!

Summer quarter registration: Registration opens this week for many of you. Be sure to double check the course schedules since some of the classes have been changed/removed (for Physics classes in particular) since the schedules were first released.

210 Credit Holds: Many of you received an email over the weekend regarding a hold placed on your student account because you have too many credits. If you received this email and have not already talked with me you will need to see me to fill out appropriate paperwork before you can register for autumn quarter classes.

Astro Lunch: Tuesday at Noon in B356A (aka the reading room), Adam Ritchey (UW) will give a talk on "Elemental Abundances and Isotopic Ratios from High-Resolution Observations of the Galactic Interstellar Medium." Feel free to bring your lunch to this talk!

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Matthew Hurtgen (Northwestern Univ.) will give a talk on "The role of sulfur in regulating Earth surface oxygen levels".

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr 102, Greg Laughlin (UC Santa Cruz) will give a talk on "Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Surveys, BOSS and BigBOSS". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ Lots of summer quarter courses being posted!

See you all tomorrow at the undergrad meeting!

Best,
Sarah

April 11, 2011

2011-04-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for next Tuesday (April 19) at 4pm in Phys/Astr A216 for the Spring quarter undergrad meeting. We'll be taking a group photo so show up ready to smile!

Building Use Permits: Don't forget to pick up your building use permits for the spring quarter! UW Police are making rounds in the evenings so please be sure you have a valid permit on you at all times. If I'm not around when you stop by, the permits are on my desk feel free to grab yours from the stack.

Spring Career Fair: The Spring Career Fair is happening this Thursday, April 14 from 3-7pm at HecEd Pavilion. Those of you graduating this year should attend as there will be tech-based companies present! More information and tips on how to prepare yourself for a career fair here: http://careers.washington.edu/Students/Spring-Career-Fair Don't forget to get your resume polished; you can use the career center's resources or stop in for a drop-in resume review.

Math Minor: In my email a few weeks ago I mentioned there are new requirements for the math minor. I wanted to follow up and point out that the new minor requires 3 less credits plus taking Math 309. If you would rather work towards completing the new math minor please send me an email or stop by. It takes just a few minutes to make this change.

Autumn Quarter planning: Autumn quarter registration happens in just a few weeks! The schedule should be on the web by this Friday or the following Monday. Make sure you stop by to check your schedule, or if you don't have one we can talk about creating one.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Public Lecture: As many of you have already heard, Neil deGrasse Tyson will be giving a public lecture on May 12. Unfortunately the lecture is already full, however I'm told that empty seats may be available to first-come, first-served starting at 6:15pm. No guarantees that you'll get a seat but if you're willing to wait in line to try you might get one!

Undergrad Photos: Keep sending your photos to me to update the undergrad board! Those that have sent me photos are posted already.

Astrobiology Seminar: This Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118 Nicholas Hud (Georgia Inst. of Tech) will give a talk on "A Self-Assembly Approach to the Proto-RNA World".

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, come listen to Tom Murphy (UC SanDiego - and UW Affiliate Professor) talk about "Advancing tests of relativity via lunar laser ranging". Dr. Murphy leads the APOLLO project which shots a laser at the moon (see the attached picture) and is spending his sabbatical here at UW so if you have questions after his talk you can find him anytime this quarter in C311. Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Updated with new campus events, jobs and scholarships! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

April 4, 2011

2011-04-04T16:27:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Welcome to the second week of classes! We will hold the spring quarter undergrad meeting on Tuesday, April 19 at 4pm in Phys/Astr A216. Please join us!

Building Use Permits: Don't forget to pick up your spring quarter building permit if you have building keys or are here after hours. UW Police will ask you for these permits during their patrols; without the permit your keys will be revoked and you will be escorted out the building. If I am not at my desk, feel free to grab your permit from the stack I keep by my monitor.

Undergrad Photos: I'm sure you have all be wondering, how do I get on that fancy undergraduate photo board on the 3rd floor? Well now is your chance! Email me a photo of yourself and we'll post it.

Summer Quarter Registration: Begins April 18! Come see me if you're not sure what you're going to take this summer. Be sure to recheck courses since some physics courses have been changed around.

McNair Scholar: The McNair Scholars Program prepares undergraduates for doctoral study through involvement in research and scholarly activities (including a $2,800 research stipend. For more information and eligibility requirements please see: http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/index.htm. The deadline has been extended to April 15!

Undergrad Research Symposium Workshops: Are you participating in the undergrad research symposium? If so, check out some of the workshops to help you design your poster (http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/courses/posterdesign.html) or create your power point (http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/courses/posterdesign.html). The Department will be hosting another poster talk session as the symposium nears so that you can get both feedback on your poster as well as test out your "elevator talk" where you have a 1-2 min. spiel ready to give those passing by. More details to come soon!

AstroLunch: Tomorrow at Noon in the reading room (Phys/Astr B356A) Karen Kwitter (Williams College) will give a talk on "Abundances of Planetary Nebulae in the Outer Disk (and possibly) Halo of M31". Join us for this informal lunch-time talk and feel free to bring your lunch!

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Brent Christner (Louisiana State Univ.) will give a talk on "Subglacial Environments: The other deep biosphere".

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Misato Fukagawa (Osaka University) will give a talk on "Direct Imaging of Protoplanetary Disks in Scattered Light". Arrive at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

Page O'Announcements: Updated with lots of class-related postings recently: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

March 28, 2011

2011-03-28T17:57:00.001-07:00

Welcome to spring quarter! I hope you all had a great spring break. I would like to schedule the spring quarter undergrad meeting for the week of April 18 so please fill out your availability: http://when2meet.com/?138311-TUrd1

I'll send around the final meeting time next week. Here are some other things to keep in mind this week:

ASTR 498/499 Forms: Don't forget if you are registering for undergraduate research or independent study credits you must pick up the appropriate form, get a faculty signature and return to the completed form before you can receive an add code. While Sunday is the deadline to register for classes without incurring a penalty, Friday at 5pm is your last opportunity to get an add code!

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Jennifer Macalday (Penn State University) will give a talk on "A Rainbow of Ocean States".

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, James Evans (University of Puget Sound) will give a talk on "New Views of the Antikythera Mechanism from Ancient Greece". Join us at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies in the foyer.

Page O'Announcements: Check out the Page O'Announcements if you are looking for a course, a campus event or even a job! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great first week of the quarter!

Best,
Sarah

March 14, 2011 (3.14 Pi Day)

2011-03-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Pi Day! (3.14) Celebrate Pi Day and finals week by eating a slice of pie today or telling a corny math joke. Here's a whole list of math jokes to share with your friends: http://www.math.utah.edu/~cherk/mathjokes.html

Math Minor Changes: Effective spring 2011, the math minor will change courses required if you have completed the Accelerated Honors Calculus (Math 134, 134 and 136). Students that completed the honors calculus series will no longer need to take Math 309 - Linear Analysis. If you are a currently declared math minor you are not automatically moved into this change but you can request this to happen. You can stop by to see me or send me an email if you have questions about how this change may impact your graduation plan.

Please note that no changes have been made to those completing Math 124, 125 and 126 series. You must still also complete Math 307, 308 and 309 as part of the core math minor requirements.

Page O'Announcements: The announcement page will be updated over finals week and spring break. So be sure to take a look: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great quarter break!

Thanks,
Sarah

February 28, 2011

2011-03-01T09:12:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

We have still yet to resolve some of the course conflicts for spring but we are working on it and I'll let you know. Physics has confirmed that they will not be offering Phys 335: Electric Circuits Lab II this summer. Please plan your schedules accordingly! Take a look at what's going on this week as well as some astronomy-related announcements.

Northwest Undergraduate Women's Physics Conference: The 1st annual Northwest Undergraduate Women in Physics Conference will be held on April 16-17th, 2011 at the University of Oregon Center in Portland, OR! Registration is now open for the Northwest Undergraduate Women in Physics Conference! Please visit
http://pages.uoregon.edu/wits/wits/nwpc/home/

to register. Registration will close on February 28th.

There is no conference fee, and lodging and food will be provided. However, travel funds will not be provided. If there are any questions or concerns about the conference, see the website, or you can contact the organizing committee at uoregon.wip_at_gmail.com.

8th International Planetary Probe Workshop, 6-10 June, 2011 in Portsmouth, VA. This conference also includes an exciting Short Course on Atmospheric Entry Systems Technologies on 4-5 June. The announcement contains program, venue, and registration information, also found at: http://www.planetaryprobe.org The Web site is open for abstract submittal and registration. Course attendance is limited, so please register soon!

AstroLunch: Tuesday at noon in the reading room (B356A) Leon Harding (National University of Ireland, Galway) will give a talk on "A search for the optical counterpart to the radio pulses detected from ultracool dwarfs". Feel free to bring your lunch to this talk!

Astronomy Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Bruce Balick (UW) will give a talk on "New Vistas on Planetary Nebulae". Join us in the foyer at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies.

Student Radio Telescope: The Student Radio Telescope (a 7-ft-diameter dish on the roof of a nearby building) is now working well, and this message is to invite Astronomy majors to join in. It is best if you have had the ASTR 321-22-23 sequence (esp. 322) and an EM course (but you do not have to know electronics). If you are interested in learning about the basics of radio astronomy and doing any of the projects below, please sign up for 1 hr of ASTR 499 - Sarah can give you an entry code. If you're interested in more than 1 hr credit, then we should talk beforehand. It is not absolutely necessary to sign up for 499, but it helps the Dept. if you do so. We will meet once weekly (exact time chosen to fit everyone's schedules) to discuss data, etc. from the previous week, as well as plans for the following week. For one hour credit, you will be expected to attend this meeting, observe at the SRT for at least 1.5 hrs per week, and analyze your data as needed.

- Woody Sullivan

P.S. In Autumn 2011 I will be teaching a 3-credit course "Intro. to Radio Astronomy" (ASTR 497A); besides lectures and a few problem sets, this will have a "lab" component that will involve using the SRT.

======================

Possible projects with the Student Radio Telescope (SRT)

- monitor the 1400 MHz flux of the sun (we are at the start of the next cycle of the 11-yr sunspot cycle, and the radio intensity varies a lot, too)

- map the galactic plane in continuum radiation

- study the distribution of atomic hydrogen by measuring the 21 cm line at various locations

- study the rotation of the Milky Way by measuring shifts in the velocities of the 21 cm line

- detect very weak sources such as the Crab Nebula (Tau A), the supernova remnant Cas A, the galactic center Sgr A, the H II region Orion A (Orion nebula), and the Moon

- develop some standard software for data analysis

- work on Web pages for the SRT

- work on write-ups of standard projects (such as those above) for future students to use

Have a great week,
Sarah

February 23, 2011

2011-02-23T08:38:00.001-08:00

Good morning everyone! Thanks to all of you that attended the undergrad meeting last week. Below is a summary of what was covered in the meeting. Please see me or Chris Laws if you have any questions about what we talked about.

Meeting Notes:
Class Conflicts: there are some time conflicts with several Astro courses this spring -- ASTR 270 and ASTR 323 as well as ASTR 480 and PHYS 227. If you were planning to take these combination of courses please email me!
Building Safety and Security: Due to recent break-ins around and in our building campus police will increase their patrols of this area. This means that if you are in the building after hours you must have a building use permit (those orange cards you renew every quarter with me). Without a building use permit you will be escorted out of the building and if you have keys they will be confiscated. Please send me an email or stop if you need a building use permit. I have a stack of permits that were not picked up for this current quarter.
Physics GRE Preparation: The Department is interested in hearing your thoughts about how to be prepared for the Physics GRE exam. Take a look through the current resources on the Dept. Wiki and let me know if you have comments on how you think we could help: http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/GRE
T-shirts!: There was strong interest in creating and selling department undergraduate t-shirts. If you are interested in helping with this effort (coordinating, creating a design) please let me know!
Astro courses: A quick reminder that if you are interested in enrolling in ASTR 481 the summer observing course you must have completed ASTR 480 (being offered this spring).

Undergraduate Research Symposium: This is your final reminder to submit an abstract for the undergraduate research symposium! The symposium is on May 20 but your abstracts are due this Friday, Feb. 25. The symposium is a great opportunity for you to present your research. You can find more details here: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html

McNair Scholars Program: The McNair program prepares underrepresented students for doctoral study through involvement in research and scholarly activities (including a min. $2,800 research stipend). Applications to join the McNair program are due by Friday, April 1 at 5pm. You can find out more about McNair by stopping by to see me or read more on their website: http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/index.htm

Graduating Seniors: If you are planning to graduate this spring or summer quarter but have not stopped in to fill out a graduation application you should do so as soon as possible. The deadline to apply to graduate for spring quarter is April 15.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 Eliza Kempton (University of California, Santa Cruz) will give a talk on "Revealing the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Super-Earths". Join us in the foyer at 3:45pm for coffee, tea (hot chocolate!) and cookies.

Feel free to stop by if you have any questions about classes for spring quarter!

Best,
Sarah

February 14, 2011

2011-02-14T14:22:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

Please join us Thursday at 3:30pm in Phys/Astr A216 for the winter quarter undergraduate meeting! Here's what to expect: lots of great info about classes, research opportunities, meet other astro majors, snacks and more. Please attend.

Undergrad Research Symposium: Want to showcase your research project? Participate in the undergraduate research symposium! The deadline to submit an application is Friday, Feb. 25 by 5pm. Talk with your research adviser about presenting a poster or giving a talk. You do not have to have publishable results, this is an opportunity for those early on in a project to summarize what you're doing as well as for those that have some results to share. Check out more details about the symposium here: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Toby Burnett (UW Physics) will give a talk on "A new window on the Universe: results from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope's first two years". Join us in the foyer at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Updated with lots of good spring quarter classes to consider!! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you have questions about classes or anything else! Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

February 7, 2011

2011-02-07T09:29:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend! I would like to schedule a time for the winter quarter undergrad meeting. Please fill out the doodle poll so we can pick a time that works for most.

http://doodle.com/94bugf32sxyfzdzr

The doodle poll will close next Monday morning and I'll announce the meeting time in my next weekly email.

Also, I'm going to be out of the office the rest of this week so be sure to check in with Dr. Chris Laws if you have questions. You can find him in his office, B349 or send him an email at laws@astro.washington.edu.

Spring and Summer Classes: Both spring and summer quarter class schedules are now on the web! Be sure to check the schedules to plan your classes. Don't forget to run a degree audit (DARS) found on your MyUW to make sure you are registering for the correct classes needed to graduate.

Women in Science and Engineering Conference: Learn about career opportunities in the sciences, work on some professional development skills and network at the WiSE conference happening Saturday, Feb. 26. The conference is 8:30am-5pm and the registration is only $15 for students. You can find more details here: http:www.engr.washington.edu/wise/conference

Undergraduate Opportunities in Australia: Applications for the Jun-Sep 2011 AAO Student Fellowships are now open.
http://www.aao.gov.au/AAO/students/aaosf.html

Opportunities exist for undergraduate students who have completed not less than 2 years of full time course work in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Applied Physics, Engineering, Mathematics or related subjects to work at the Australian Astronomical Observatory on research projects under the individual supervision of AAO staff astronomers. In addition to astronomical research, a major part of the Observatory's core business is astronomical instrumentation for optical/infrared telescopes, and studentships are available in this area as well.

Student Fellowships are available for 10 to 12 weeks in the period mid-June to mid-September. The stipend for 2011 is A$622 per week.

The AAO headquarters is located in Epping, a suburb approximately 25 km from the centre of Sydney. In one or two cases, scholars may be based at the telescope site (Siding Spring) near Coonabarabran in central western New South Wales. For students based in Sydney, a field trip is arranged to visit the telescopes at Siding Spring Observatory.

Applications should be directed to A.Prof. Andrew Hopkins, Head of AAT Science. The deadline is 15 Feb 2011. For further details, including how to apply, see: http://www.aao.gov.au/AAO/students/aaosf.html

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz (Univ. of California, Santa Cruz) will give a talk on "Tidal Disruption of Stars by Massive Black Holes". Join us for coffee, tea, cookies and conversation at 3:45pm in the foyer.

Page O'Announcements: Don't forget to check out the Page O'Announcements when you're looking for a class, campus event, job, graduate school tips, astronomy research opportunities and more! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have an awesome week!

Best,
Sarah

January 31, 2011

2011-01-31T11:41:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

I hope you all had a great weekend! Please read below for a research funding opportunity, lectures and more!

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Feb. 25 is the deadline to apply for the Undergraduate Research Symposium. The symposium is your opportunity to showcase your research by presenting a talk or poster. Check out the website for more information about the symposium: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html Talk with your research adviser soon about participating.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program: The Washington NASA Space Grant provides funding for summer research! SURP is a 9 week on-campus research opportunity. The application due date is April 15. Details can be found here: http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html

2011-2012 Astronomy Course Offerings: For those uber-planners out there, you can now view a listing of the astronomy courses planned for 2011-2012. Check out the course offerings page here: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/YearTS.htm Let me know if you have any questions about these courses.

Astrobiology Lecture: Wed., Feb. 9 at 6:30pm in Kane 120, William Martin (U. Dusseldorf) will give a talk on "The Origin of Life". This is a free lecture, but you must pre-register here (http://www.ess.washington.edu/mindlin/). Hydrothermal vents sit at the evolutionary interface between geology and microbiology, breathing new life into one of biology's most significant questions: how did carbon dioxide, rocks and water transition into living things? Professor William Martin of the University of Düsseldorf will share his vision of how and life life on Earth likely originated in hot water gushing through fissures and fractures in the ancient seafloor.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Nathaniel Butler (Univ. of California, Berkeley) will give at talk on "Toward Time-Domain Classification of Transients". 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 when you needs ideas for something to do for the weekend, a class to register for or if you're looking for a job: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

January 25, 2011

2011-01-25T14:21:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all of you that attended the 10 year review committee meeting yesterday afternoon. I hope that you were able to share your experiences and let the committee see what being an Astronomy undergrad at UW is like. A big thank you once again!

Green Career Fair: Are you looking for a job after graduation? Check out the Green Career Fair tomorrow - Jan. 26! 10am-2pm in Mary Gates Commons. There will be a large number of employers with "green" values in attendance. Bring your resume!

Spring Course Schedule: The spring course schedule should be available on the web this Friday or at the latest on Monday. Be sure to check your degree audit (DARS) on MyUW to know which classes you need to register for in the spring. I'm available to meet with anyone that needs help figuring out their classes.

Computer lab reminder: Just a quick nearly-mid-quarter reminder to please keep the astro computer lab clean. With a common space it is sometimes difficult to keep clean, but please try to pick up after yourself and avoid eating at the computers. Also, remember that the lab is not a secure place to leave personal property unattended.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Meredith Hughes (UC Berkeley) will give a talk on "Millimeter-Wavelength Observations of Circumstellar Disks, and What They Can Tell Us About Planets". Join us 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/ You will find campus events, scholarships, jobs and more on the page. Be sure to browse through the links on the right side of the page that are more Astronomy-specific.

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

January 19, 2011

2011-01-19T10:16:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

Thanks to those that have RSVP'd for the 10year review site visit meeting next week. As a reminder, the Astronomy Department is in the process of its 10 year review. Every department on campus is reviewed approx. every 10 years and as part of the review a committee of faculty visit the Department to meet with members. You are very important members of our Department and the committee would like to meet with you all on January 24 at 3pm in the reading room (B356A). We are hoping that a large majority of you will be able to make this meeting. You should confirm your attendance by sending me an email directly.

Undergrad Research Symposium: The undergrad research symposium is a great opportunity for you to present you research to the UW community. The symposium this year will take place on Friday, May 20. If you would like to present your research, you will need to submit an application by Friday, Feb. 25. You can present your research in a poster or a talk. Astronomy always has great representation at this event, so I encourage you all to talk with your research adviser about participating!

Undergrad Photos: It's time to update the undergrad photo board! Please send me a photo of yourself to be added.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Myung Gyoon Lee (Seoul National University) will give a talk on "Wandering Star Clusters in the Universe". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

Page O'Announcements: Be sure to check out the Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ There are some recent postings about research opportunities and study abroad programs.

Have a great week!
Sarah

January 10, 2011

2011-01-10T14:02:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

Please join me in thanking Prof. Paula Szkody for her service as the faculty undergraduate advisor. Prof. Szkody is officially on sabbatical this winter and spring quarter so Dr. Chris Laws has graciously agreed to be the faculty advisor. Dr. Laws' email is laws@astro.washington.edu and office is B349; his office hours M-Th 9:30-10:20, F 10:30-11:30 and also generally in/available MWF 12:30-2:30 and TTh 5-6pm.

10yr Review Site Visit Meeting: As many of you have heard, the Astronomy Department is in the process of its 10 year review. Every department on campus is reviewed approx. every 10 years and as part of the review a committee of faculty visit the Department to meet with members. You are very important members of our Department and the committee would like to meet with you all on January 24 at 3pm in the reading room (B356A). Please read the attached letter describing the meeting. We are hoping that a large majority of you will be able to make this meeting. You should confirm your attendance by sending me an email directly.

REU Opportunities: Don't forget to check out the undergrad bulletin board (across from the computer lab) for research (REU) opportunities. You can also browse opportunities here: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/links.htm

This week is the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting so there is no colloquium or astro lunch talks.

Have a great second week of the quarter!

- Sarah

January 4, 2011

2011-01-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2011 and the start of winter quarter! I hope you all had a restful and happy winter break. Take a look at what's happening this week in the Department.

AAS Meeting: The American Astronomical Society meeting starts this weekend! For those of you attending/volunteering be sure you take a look at the science program ahead of time so you know how to plan out your schedule. http://aas.org/meetings/aas217/Science_Program I like using the program planner feature. Enjoy talking about research and networking next week!

Building Permits/Keys: If you have building keys you are required to have a new building permit every quarter. Please stop by the front office to pick yours up today!

ASTR 499- Research: Don't forget to pick up your pink research forms if you are registering for ASTR 499. While Sun. Jan. 9 is the last day to add, drop, or change classes on MyUW without a fee, you need signatures and add codes by the end of day Friday this week.

REU: Want to work on astro research this summer? Consider applying for a research experience for undergrads (REU)! The National Science Foundation sponsors REUs at institutions around the country. Browse through the list today: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/links.htm Application deadlines are often mid-Jan thru mid-Feb.

Astro Lunch: We get two speakers this week at AstroLunch. Today at Noon in the reading room (B356A) Steven Finkelstein (Texas A&M) will give a talk on "Finding and Understanding Galaxies at z>7". At 12:30, Keekly Finkelstein (Texas A&M) will give a talk on "Spitzer Observations of Star Formation in Galactic HII Region Environments". Feel free to bring your lunch to this informal talk series!

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Michael Shull (University of Colorado) will give a talk on "Observational and Theoretical Studies of the Intergalactic Medium". Coffee, tea and cookies are served in the foyer at 3:45pm; join everyone for some great conversation before the lecture.

Page O'Announcements: Looking for campus events, a job or a scholarship? Check out the announcement blog: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ There are also important links for astro majors on the right side of the page.

Have a great first week of the quarter!

Best,
Sarah

December 13, 2012

2010-12-13T11:53:00.001-08:00

It's finals week so this is the last email until winter quarter. Some important things before our break begins:

Grad School inquiries: The Department occasionally gets requests from other graduate programs to provide a list of students interested in hearing from someone at their Department. Due to confidentiality we do not give out student information, however if you would like to be added to a list that is given out after such requests please send me a quick note saying it's OK.

ASTR 497 Exoplanets: This winter, consider taking ASTR 497, a course on Exoplanets. For thousands of years, humanity has pondered the possible existence of planets and life beyond our own Solar System. Yet is has only been the last decade that we been able to find evidence that extrasolar planets, planets found around stars other than our Sun, do exist. This course will cover extrasolar planet detection techniques, characteristics of the known population, and how studies of extrasolar planets have changed our views of planetary system formation and evolution. This course will also focus on the science behind the planned searches for Earth-like planets and life beyond our Solar System. The course meets MW 1:30-2:50 (sln 10550).

Call for students who want to work with the Student Radio Telescope

The Student Radio Telescope is now working well, and this message is to invite Astronomy majors to join in. It is best if you have had the ASTR 321-22-23 sequence (esp. 322) and an EM course (but you do not have to know electronics). If you are interested in learning about the basics of radio astronomy and doing any of the projects below, please sign up for 1 hr of ASTR 499 - Sarah can give you an entry code. If you're interested in more than 1 hr credit, then we should talk beforehand. It is not absolutely necessary to sign up for 499, but it helps the Dept. if you do so.

We will meet once weekly (exact time chosen to fit everyone's schedules) to discuss data, etc. from the previous week, as well as plans for the following week. For one hour credit, you will be expected to attend this meeting, observe at the SRT for at least 1.5 hrs per week, and analyze your data as needed.

- Woody Sullivan (woody@astro.washington.edu)

Possible Winter Quarter projects / goals with the Student Radio Telescope (SRT)

- monitor the 1400 MHz flux of the sun (we are at the start of the next cycle of the 11-yr sunspot cycle, and the radio intensity varies a lot, too)

- map the galactic plane in continuum radiation

- study the distribution of atomic hydrogen by measuring the 21 cm line at various locations

- study the rotation of the Milky Way by measuring shifts in the velocities of the 21 cm line

- detect very weak sources such as the Crab Nebula (Tau A), the supernova remnant Cas A, the galactic center Sgr A, the H II region Ori A, and the Moon

- develop some standard software for data analysis

- help produce an Operator's Manual for the SRT that can be handed to SRT newbies

- work on Web pages for the SRT

- work on write-ups of standard projects (such as those above) for future students to use

Have a fantastic break!

Sarah

December 6, 2010

2010-12-06T15:04:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

You've made it to the last week of classes! There are a couple of announcements I want to make before you head out for winter break.

Meet with John Mather: This Thursday, the Department is hosting John Mather, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics (2006) and the Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope. There will be a special undergraduate meeting with Dr. Mather on Thursday, December 9 at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr C520. Snacks will be provided and you are all encouraged to attend!

Grad School inquiries: The Department occasionally gets requests from other graduate programs to provide a list of students interested in hearing from someone at their Department. Due to confidentiality we do not give out student information, however if you would like to be added to a list that is given out after such requests please send me a quick note saying it's OK.

2011 Undergraduate Pacific Physics and Astronomy Conference: The UPPAC this year is the first week of March. UPPAC is grounded in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Simon Fraser University. It will feature talks from some of the provinces top physicists in conjunction with talks from students like you. UPPAC presents a great opportunity to meet other physics students, share your research, and learn about other universities in the Pacific region. What's more, You can expect that registration will be less than $30 for a full two days of physics phun (travel and accommodation not included).

If you're interested in attending you should check out our website at www.sfupsa.com/uppac (which is still under construction) and join the facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167231903300915.

Please let me know if you are interested in attending this conference. If there is enough interest we may be able to pull together some Departmental funding to rent a van!

Astro Lunch: Tuesday at Noon in Phys/Astr B356A, Evan Kirby (Hubble Fellow at Caltech) will give a talk on "The Chemical Evolution of Dwarf Satellite Galaxies from Keck/DEIMOS Multi-Element Abundance Measurements ". Feel free to bring your lunch!

Astrobiology Seminar: This Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Mark Skidmore (Montana State) will give a talk on "The (sub)glacial biosphere, microbial activity at zero degrees Celsius and below."

Astronomy Colloquium: Please join us on Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 for John Mather's talk on the "Capabilities of JWST". Coffee, tea and cookies are served at 3:45pm in the foyer. Attend the last colloquium of the quarter!

Have a great last week of the quarter!

Sarah

November 30, 2010

2010-11-30T08:37:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed the extra long break we had. Registration for most of you is over at this point, but if you're still having problems getting into classes let me know.

Meet with John Mather: Next Thursday, the Department is hosting John Mather, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics (2006) and the Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope. There will be a special undergraduate meeting with Dr. Mather on Thursday, December 9 at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr C520. Snacks will be provided and you are all encouraged to attend!

Research Experiences/Internships: Many of you attended the NASA Internship session a few weeks ago and have more questions about other opportunities. More research experiences and internships are listed on the following page: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/links.htm Note that many deadlines for the internships are in January and February so this is a great time to be thinking about which ones you might apply to.

Graduate School Applications: For those applying to graduate schools right now, don't forget that now is the time you should be finalizing your list (if you haven't already) and giving lists to your letter writers of where you're applying, deadlines, how to submit letters, etc. Check out more tips and recommendations on the Grad School Wiki page: http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/Grad_School (accessible with an account or when you're on a computer in the astro lab). There are also some great testimonials from our current graduate students about alternative pathways to the PhD!

Astrobiology Seminar: Today (Tuesday) at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Colin Goldblatt (UW) will give a talk on "Early Earth Nitrogen: Geosphere-biosphere-climate interactions.

Colloquium: This week at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Amber Straughn (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) will give a talk on "HST WFC3 Early Release Science: Emission Line Galaxies from IR Grism Observations". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Don't forget to check the Page O'Announcements for campus events, scholarships and job postings. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Sarah

November 15, 2010

2010-11-15T16:00:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! Thanks to all who attended the quarterly meeting last week. We talked about upcoming classes to be aware of, graduate school and research opportunities. We'll have another meeting sometime mid-winter quarter.

Physics/Astronomy Networking Days: Many of you have seen the flyers in the building about the Career Development Organization Networking Days Nov. 17-18. I strong encourage anyone graduating this year to attend the networking days this year. Networking day is your opportunity to learn about industry jobs and potentially scout out your future employer! The companies attending are specifically hiring Physics and Astronomy students so bring your resumes! Details including a schedule of events can be found here: http://students.washington.edu/cdophys/ND/

Art course of interest to Astronomy: ART 361 "Black Holes, Grey Matter and White Cubes: Visualizing Science". This winter quarter class meets M, W 2:30-5:20 and is 5 credits. The instructor recommends that you have an advanced background in visual arts, drama, music, dance or DXArts. This studio art course considers the artistic possibilites of scientific instruments and representation, introducing both historical perspectives and current imaging and recording systems. Content will be presented via field trips, presentations, visiting lecturers, discussion and critique. Participation will include reading, writing, oral presentation, discussion and artistic outcomes in a range of potential formats. For more info, contact Rebecca Cummins at rcummins@uw.edu.

NASA Space Grant Internship Info Session: Don't forget this Friday from 2:30-4pm in MGH 389 is the NASA Internship information session. Go learn about paid internships at NASA facilities.

Thinking about a career in teaching? Attend the UW College of Education open house night! Nov. 17 at 4:30pm in Miller Hall. RSVP at http://education.washington.edu/openhouse

AstroLunch x2: This week we have two astro lunches that you can attend. Today at 12:30pm in B356A (the reading room), Jarron Leisenring (Univ. of Virginia) will give a talk on "Mid-Infrared Variability of T Tauri Stars." Tomorrow at Noon in the same room, Richard Coffey (UW Director of Physics/Astronomy Computing Services - PACS) will give a talk on the current status and future plans of computing in our Department. Feel free to bring your lunch to either of these great talks!

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Falk Herwig (Univ. of Victoria) will give a talk on "Simulations of the Origin of the Elements". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Have an excellent week!
Sarah

November 8, 2010

2010-11-08T13:36:00.001-08:00

You are all encouraged to attend the undergraduate meeting today at 4pm in the reading room (Phys/Astr B356A). We will discuss classes, post-graduation plans, research and more! Those of you that participated in an REU this summer please attend and share your experiences with us. Snacks will be provided!

Winter quarter registration: Registration for winter quarter has started for many of you. Please let me know if you have questions about classes you should be taking. Note that ASTR 300: Astronomy Computing is open only to Astronomy majors during Period 1 registration (now - Nov. 28). Starting Nov. 29 any remaining seats will be given to non-Astronomy students requesting permission. If for some reason you are unable to register for the course before Nov. 29 but still want a seat, please contact Dr. Toby Smith (smith@astro.washington.edu).

AAS Meeting Volunteering: Don't forget to sign up to be a volunteer at the American Astronomical Society meeting this January here in Seattle! Volunteers receive free meeting registration and this is a great opportunity to experience a professional conference. To volunteer fill out the form here: http://aas.org/meetings/aas217/volunteer

Colloquium: Colloquium this week is on Wednesday at 4pm in ARCHITECTURE 147 (due to the Veteran's Day holiday on Thursday). This week we have Jayant Narlikar (IUCA&A) giving a talk on "A Critique of Standard Cosmology".

Page O'Announcements: Don't forget to check out the Page O'Announcements! Included are some great classes, post-graduation opportunities and more: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!
Sarah

November 2, 2010

2010-11-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I've attached a picture of the APOLLO project shooting a laser at the moon at the Apache Point Observatory. Read more about the APOLLO project here: http://physics.ucsd.edu/~tmurphy/apollo/apollo.html

The votes are in for the undergrad meeting. We will have our autumn quarter meeting on Monday, Nov. 8 at 4pm in Phys/Astr B356A (aka the reading room) which is just inside the computer lab. Join us to hear about research, classes, career resources and more! Snacks will be provided.

Winter quarter registration: Registration for winter quarter begin this Friday for many of you and others follow shortly after this. Be sure you're registering for the right classes; run a new degree audit (DARS), look at your course plan or if you don't have one stop in to see me and create one!

NASA Space Grant Internship Meeting: On Nov. 19 from 2:30-4:00pm in Mary Gates Hall Rm 389, the WA NASA Space Grant office will host a NASA Internship Information Session. At this meeting you will find out about opportunities at NASA/JPL and Johnson Space Center as well as local research and industry internships available to you.

Astronomy Colloquium: Join us this Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 for a talk by Suvi Gezari (Johns Hopkins) for a talk on "The Transient Ultraviolet Universe". Coffee, tea and cookies will be served at 3:45pm in the foyer.

Page O'Announcements: Check out the Page O'Announcements where you can find announcements about jobs, scholarships and campus events. Check out the links on the right side of the page that will guide you to Astronomy and Physics course offerings, planning guides, graduate school application tips and much more! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week and we'll see you all on Monday, Nov. 8 at 4pm!

Best,
Sarah

October 25, 2010

2010-10-25T13:13:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-18T10:50:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

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

September 28, 2010

2010-09-28T12:03:00.001-07:00

Welcome to a new academic year! I hope you all had great summers and I can't wait to hear about your research, classes, working, traveling or even if you just relaxed! There are a few important announcements that I wanted to share with you before classes started to please read on!

Present your research at the AAS in January: This January, the American Astronomical Society conference is here in Seattle. This is a great opportunity for you to present your research or you are always welcome to volunteer. If you want to present your research, the abstract submission deadline is this Friday, October 1. Everyone submitting an abstract is welcome to attend the first day of ASTR 482 -Scientific Writing (Wed @ 3pm in A216) to have peers and the instructor, Prof. Sullivan review the abstracts. If you plan to attend please email your abstract in it's current format to Prof. Sullivan (woody@astro.washington.edu).

Details about the AAS meeting can be found here: http://aas.org/meetings/aas217
Information about how to fund your attendance at the meeting can be found here: http://astroemails.blogspot.com/2010/09/present-your-research-at-american.html

ASTR 499 credit: Please remember that if you are registered for ASTR 499 credit you need to fill out the research approval form (the pink half sheets). You can pick up a form from me in the main office.

Building Permits: The start of the new quarter means new building permits! If you have keys to the building you are required to have a valid building permit. Please stop by the front office to get your new permit.

GRE Physics: The deadline to register for the Nov. 13 GRE Physics exam is Oct. 8. For more information on the GRE check out the official site (www.gre.com) or the Astronomy Wiki page (http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/GRE).

Conference for Undergraduate Women: The University of Nebraska - Lincoln is bringing together outstanding student researchers in Physics and Astronomy for a four-day conference from Oct. 7 - Oct. 10. Undergraduate students are invited to take part in this unique opportunity to expand upon their current research experiences, interact with physics and astronomy students from other universities, and attend scientific talks given by scientists who are leaders in their field. All local expenses, including food and hotel accommodation, are covered by sponsors, and there is no registration fee. In addition, they are able to provide travel scholarships to undergraduate participants. Support is given upon request by the supervising faculty. More information on travel scholarships can be found on the Nominations page of http://www.physics.unl.edu/~wophy/ Registration deadline is September 30, 2010.

Page O'Announcements: The Page O'Announcements continues to provide you with campus events, job postings and open course offerings. Check it out! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you have any questions as you start the new academic year!

Best,
Sarah

Hiring a reader/grader for Astronomy 321 fall 2010

2010-09-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Department of Astronomy is hiring a Reader/Grader for Astronomy 321 - Solar Systems. Reader/Graders provide diverse services as course assistants, which will normally include grading student papers and examinations. Reader/Grader duties may also include: attendance at lectures, office hours, consultation with instructors, and other duties as assigned.

This position has a possibility of renewal for Astronomy 322 (winter) and Astronomy 323 (spring) based on satisfactory work.

Minimum qualifications:
Completion of Astronomy 321, 322 and 323
Minimum 3.5 grade in each course

The Reader/Grader will be paid $500 (gross) for the quarter, paid out at the end of the quarter.

To apply: Submit a copy of your resume and unofficial transcript to the Astronomy front office in Phys/Astr C319 by September 27 at 5pm.

Present your research at American Astronomical Society Meeting

2010-09-15T16:39:00.001-07:00

The 217th meeting of the American Astronomical Society is happening in Seattle, January 9-13, 2011. The AAS meeting is the largest professional astronomy conference in the U.S. and this is a great opportunity to present your work, meet astronomers from other institutions and see what a professional conference is all about! Please read below for details on how to register for the conference to present your research or find out how you can volunteer which includes complimentary registration.

Presenting your research at the AAS meeting:
To present a poster of your research you need to submit an abstract of your research. Talk with your research adviser about writing an abstract. You are also invited to sit in on ASTR 482 on Sep. 30 where the class will work on peer editing of abstracts. ASTR 482 meets at 3pm in Phys/Astr A216

The deadline to submit abstracts is Oct. 1 and can be submitted here: http://members.aas.org/abstracts/
Note that to submit an abstract if you are not currently a member of the AAS you must create a non-member login here:https://members.aas.org/source/Members/cMemberInsert.cfm?section=unknown&WHERE_TO_NEXT_SOURCE=Meetings/cMeetingFunctionDetail.cfm?section=unknown&PRODUCT_MAJORxxxxWTR_11R

To register for the meeting you will need to login using your member or non-member login information: https://members.aas.org/source/Meetings/cMeetingFunctionDetail.cfm?product_major=WTR_11R

Undergraduate nonmember regular registration costs $151. The deadline to register for the regular conference price is November 18.

Funding your meeting registration cost:
There are a few options available to help with the costs of attending this meeting. If you are presenting research you can submit an application to the Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Award: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/students/urcta.html You could also ask your research adviser if there is any grant funding available.

Volunteering:
If you are not presenting research but still want to attend the meeting, volunteering is a great option! Volunteers get complimentary registration to the conference. To sign up as a volunteer go here: http://aas.org/meetings/aas217/volunteer

Feel free to ask me if you have any questions about the meeting. It is a great opportunity to attend a professional conference with very little travel funding required!

Best,
Sarah

June 28, 2010

2010-06-28T10:11:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

There are a few reminders I wanted to send out to you as you are enjoying your summer.

Building Permits/Keys: If you are in the building this summer and have building keys you are required to have a building use permit (the orange cards with your name on it). Please stop by the astronomy main office to pick yours up. The permits are renewed quarterly meaning the one in your wallet has expired so please come get a new one from me. Seniors that have graduated; don't forget to return your building keys before you leave!

Summer Announcements: The Page O'Announcements page will be updated throughout the summer. Make sure to check it periodically for campus events, jobs, scholarships, etc. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Course Planning: Summer is a great time to sit down with me and figure out your courses for the next academic year. We can meet in person, talk over the phone or correspond over email. The office gets busy as we approach the start of autumn quarter so be sure to come in early!

Autumn Qtr Courses: Two new courses have been added to the time schedule for autumn quarter. ASTR 425 "Cosmology" with Prof. Fabio Governato will be offered on MW 1:30-2:50 in PAA A210 (3 credits; sln 20375). ASTR 497 special topics will be on "Planetary Sciences and Astrobiology" with Prof. David Catling (ESS). This course will be TTh 11:30-12:50 in ATG 154 (3 credits; sln 20374).

Have a great summer!

Best,
Sarah

May 10, 2010

2010-05-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is my last week in until finals week, so please let me know if you have questions about fall quarter registration or graduation issues. If you have questions while I'm away, please contact Paula Szkody (szkody@astro.washington.edu).

ASTR 425 Cosmology: We have some great news... we will be offering ASTR 425 Cosmology in fall 2010. The course will be on the time schedule soon and will most likely meet M, W 1:30-2:50 in PAA A210. I'll let you know if this schedule changes. Dr. Fabio Governato will be the course instructor.

ESS Courses: The Earth and Space Sciences department is offering some great courses in Planetarium Geology (ESS 306-summer) and Space and Plasmas (ESS 415- autumn). Check out these astronomy-related courses on the time schedule.

Summer GRE Physics Study group: Some students have expressed an interest in starting a summer Physics GRE study group. If you're interested please let me know or create a sign up sheet in the computer lab. Those taking the exam next year should seriously considering using a study guide (like this one http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/epicschmidt.txt) that gives you some idea of what to study and how long you should be studying. The guide linked above is from our very own graduate student Sarah Schmidt.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Barbara McArthur (University of Texas) will give a talk on "New Observational Constraints on the Upsilon Andromedae System with Data from The Hubble Space Telescope and Hobby Eberly Telescope". Join us in the foyer at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ check out the new postings (mostly class advertisements from other departments) and the important links on the right side of the page.

Have a great end of the quarter!!

Best,
Sarah

May 3, 2010

2010-05-03T15:28:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

The spring quarter undergraduate meeting will take place tomorrow, (Tuesday) at 4pm in Phys/Astr B356A (aka the reading room) just off of the undergrad lab. Graduating seniors are encouraged to attend to let everyone know of your post-graduation plans! Snacks will be provided.

MRO work party: Looking for a chance to head up to Manastash Ridge Observatory? Consider joining our MRO work party! We need a group of undergrads to help up clean the observatory. Mark your weekend preference here: http://www.doodle.com/hihvzq4wk5yw43bx Questions? Contact Chris Laws (laws@astro.washington.edu).

Autumn quarter classes: Take a look at the autumn quarter time schedule to choose your classes! Let me know if you have any questions. http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/AUT2010/ Remember to run a degree audit (DARS found on myUW) to see which classes you still need to take.

Career Center: Don't forget to use the services offered by the career center. You can use their services while you're still a student. http://careers.washington.edu/

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Shelley Wright (UC Berkeley) will give a talk on "High-Spatial Resolution Observations of z~1.5 Star Forming Galaxies; Discovering Galactic Disks, Mergers and Weak AGN". Join us in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

See you all at the meeting tomorrow! Have a great week.
Sarah

April 26, 2010

2010-04-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

The course schedule for autumn 2010 is available so take a look and plan out your classes: http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/AUT2010/. Please remember to come and see me now if you have questions about your schedules since I will be out of the office for 3 weeks starting May 15 and returning June 7. I'll check email June 1-4.

Spring Qtr Meeting: Now is the time to decide the day/time for the spring quarter undergrad meeting. The meeting will be held the week of May 3-7. Please fill out the 2 question survey by this Friday: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/sterrs/101824

Astronomy Picture of the Day: For a distraction that is still educational... check out the Astronomy Picture of the Day: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/

Graduation: If you are graduating but have not received an email from me with details about ceremonies please let me know.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Brian Siana (CalTech) will give a talk on "How Did Galaxies Reionize the Universe? Deep Searches for Escaping Ionizing Photons with the Hubble Space Telescope." Please join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Check out the announcement blog that has lots of campus events, job postings and more! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!
Sarah

April 19, 2010

2010-04-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally arrived in Seattle!! I hope that you all had a moment to enjoy the great weather we had on Sunday. There are some important items I wanted to share with you this week so please read on!

225 Double Degree Policy: A follow up to my email last week regarding the new University policy. Departments have been given the ability to award exemptions to students that are graduating in or applying to graduate no later than Autumn 2011. So if you are planning to graduate in June 2011 and fill out a graduation application with me in Autumn 2010 then I can award the exemption to you. Please come talk with me if you have questions. More details (filled with University vocab) can be found here: https://www.washington.edu/students/ugrad/advising/advisers/double/

Autumn 2010 Time Schedule: Is now available! Check out the classes being offered this fall quarter: http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/AUT2010/astro.html Make an appointment or stop by to see me if you have questions about what classes you should be taking. Remember that I'll be out of the office from May 15 - June 6.

Masters in Teaching Info Sessions for Math and Science students: The College of Education is holding a MIT Information Session targeting interested math and science students on Wednesday, April 21 at 5pm. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the teacher certification program along with funding opportunities specifically for math and science teachers. Speakers will include Ken Zeichner, Director of the Teacher Education Program, Mark Windschitl, science methods professor, along with recent math/science graduates of the MIT. Please register at:
http://education.washington.edu/areas/tep/infosessions.html

AstroLunch: Tuesday at noon in B356A (aka the reading room), Sukanya Chakrabarti (UC Berekely) will give an informal talk on "Deciphering the Dynamical Impact of CDM Sub-Structure". Feel free to bring your lunch!

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, T.J. Cox (Carnegie Observatories) will give a talk on "Unraveling the Formation History of Elliptical Galaxies". Join us at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies in the foyer!

Page O'Announcements: Lots of campus events posted along with lots of scholarship opportunities. Check out the Page O'announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

April 12, 2010

2010-04-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Spring seems like it has finally arrived! Remember that April 18 is the last day to add a class for those of you still wanting to add a research credit be sure to get the pink research form from me soon!

Undergraduate Trip to Brewster, WA: Want to see a part of the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA- http://www.vlba.nrao.edu/ ) here in Washington? A small group of astro undergrads will be taking a trip to Brewster, WA on Saturday, April 24 to view the VLBA and take a tour. The group will meet leave the Phys/Astr Bldg loading dock at 8:30am and return around 8pm. You're invited to join on a seat-available basis so if you're interested send an email to Prof. Bruce Balick (balick@astro.washington.edu). You'll want to bring clothing for cool windy weather, sunglasses, non-slip shoes with soft soles, camera, $$ for lunch, dinner along the way, water bottle, and snacks. The Department will cover the cost of the van and gas.

Last day to apply for graduation: If you are planning to graduate this quarter and have not filled out a graduation application you must do so by this Friday, April 16. Please see me asap!

Career Fair: Wednesday, April 14 is the campus career fair with over 120 employers! The fair will take place from 3-7pm in the HUB Ballroom. More details here: http://careers.washington.edu/Spring-Career-Fair

Call for Volunteers! We are looking for undergraduates to volunteer for the Cool Stars 16 conference happening this summer here at UW! The conference is from Aug 29 - Sep 2 and we are seeking volunteers to complete a variety of jobs. Those that work 15 hours will be able to attend the conference for free (note this does not include the excursions and banquets). Please let me know if you're interested in volunteering! https://www.confcon.com/coolstars16/

Astro Lunch: This week we have several talks but not on Tuesday and not during lunch! Still these informal talks are a great way to hear about different areas of Astronomy. Wednesday at 2pm in C341, Peter Yoachim (Univ. of Texas- formerly of UW) will give a talk on "Sailing Off the Edge of a Galaxy with IFU Spectroscopy". Friday at 2pm in C341, Ellie Hadjiyska (UC Santa Barbara) will give a talk on "Transient Optical Sky Survey: System Analysis and Initial Results".

Colloquium: Stelios Kzantzidis (The Ohio State University) will give a talk on "Cold Dark Matter Substructure and Galactic Disks" on Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102. Please join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

March 29, 2010

2010-03-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! I hope you all had an enjoyable spring break and are ready to start the new quarter. Please read on for information about the new way to log in to the astronomy computers, a spring career fair and more!

New Computer Login: Starting immediately, you will now log in to the astronomy computers using your UW NetID and your UW NetID password. We have merged your astro account with your UW NetID account so everything you had on your astronomy computer should still be accessible. Please let me know if you cannot log in to the computers.

Building Use Permits: If you have keys to the Physics/Astronomy building, please remember to pick up your quarter building use permit from the astronomy main office. These quarterly permits are required when you are in the building after hours (building hours are 7am-7pm) and on the weekends.

Extrasolar Planets course: This special topics course meets on Wed and Fri from 10am-11:20. The course is listed as ASTR 497A (sln 10597). For thousands of years, humanity has pondered the possible existence of planets and life beyond our own Solar System. Yet is has only been the last decade that we been able to find evidence that extrasolar planets, planets found around stars other than our Sun, do exist. This course will cover extrasolar planet detection techniques, characteristics of the known population, and how studies of extrasolar planets have changed our views of planetary system formation and evolution. This course will also focus on the science behind the planned searches for Earth-like planets and life beyond our Solar System.

Spring Career Fair: Wednesday, April 14 from 3-7pm in the HUB Ballroom. More than 90 companies will be present to recruit UW graduates. For a complete list of the more than 90 attending organizations, and tips on how to prepare, please visit http://careers.washington.edu/Spring-Career-Fair.

Astronomy Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Brant Robertson (CalTech) will give a talk on "Forthcoming Constraints on High-redshift Galaxy populations from WFC3". Please join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

Have a great first week back.

Best,
Sarah

March 15, 2010

2010-03-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Good luck on your finals this week!

Just a few things I wanted to mention.

ASTR 480/497A time changes: we were able to successfully move ASTR 480 and ASTR 497A (extrasolar planets) so that it will no longer conflict with physics 227 or 321. Please see the time schedule (notes will appear tomorrow) for details.

Page O'Announcements: will be updated through spring break! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

I'm around over spring break so feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.

Have a great break.

March 9, 2010

2010-03-09T16:33:00.001-08:00

We made it to the last week of classes with spring break almost here! Remember to practice good study habits as finals near: 1) find a quite place where you can effectively study; 2) study in groups only if you can keep focused; 3) know what material you need to study-- ask your instructors for guidance; 4) make a prioritized list of what you need to study and stick to it; and 5) get plenty of sleep before your exams.

Phys 321/ASTR 480 conflict: It has come to our attention that there is a time conflict with Physics 321 and Astronomy 480 this spring. For those of your registered for both, please stay registered for both. I am attempting to work out this conflict with the Physics Department and will keep you updated on the progress.

Extrasolar Planets Course Spring: Consider taking Extrasolar Planets this spring! This course is listed as ASTR 497A (sln 10597) is 3 credits and meets WF 3:00-4:20. For thousands of years, humanity has pondered the possible existence of planets and life beyond our own Solar System. Yet is has only been the last decade that we been able to find evidence that extrasolar planets, planets found around stars other than our Sun, do exist. This course will cover extrasolar planet detection techniques, characteristics of the known population, and how studies of extrasolar planets have changed our views of planetary system formation and evolution. This course will also focus on the science behind the planned searches for Earth-like planets and life beyond our Solar System.

Academic Planning: Registration for the next quarter is always a good reminder of how important having an academic plan is. I recommend to have at least a year's worth of classes planned out so you know what to take but can be flexible if classes are not offered. Please stop in to see me or send me an email if you need help planning out your classes. Be sure to use the resources found here: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/YearTS.htm. Keep in mind that late April and early May is the best time to talk about autumn quarter class schedules!

Colloquium: Join us on Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 for Ian Dobbs-Dixon's (UW) talk on "Weather Forecasts for Irradiated Exoplanets". Coffee, tea and cookies will be served at 3:45pm in the foyer.

Page O'Announcements: Updated with campus events, jobs and courses: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week,
Sarah

March 2, 2010

2010-03-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

The end of the quarter is just around the corner and so is spring! Take a moment in the next few weeks to walk through the Quad where the cherry trees are blooming.

Spring Qtr Registration: Many of you have already registered but if you haven't yet and are still trying to decide what to take next quarter please stop in to see me! We can work together to figure out a schedule for you so that you're taking the right physics and astronomy classes.

Astronomy Degree Requirement Changes: As many of you already know, there are plans in place to change the degree requirements for both Astronomy and Physics tentatively for autumn 2010. I will have information available after spring break on what these changes are and what they mean for students. Note that if you are already declared Astronomy and Physics the new changes will not impact you. However, if you are only declared Astronomy but planning to declare Physics in the future, I would recommend declaring Physics before the end of summer quarter.

Computer Lab Clean Up: As the quarter ends, please be sure to pick up garbage and misc. items left around the computer lab. Keeping the lab clean is all of your responsibility and we want to keep the lab an inviting place to study and work on research. I have brooms and desk cleaner available for anyone that loves to clean!! Also remember that we cannot be responsible for any lost or stolen items, so please do not leave your personal belongings in the computer lab.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Ching Wa Yip (Johns Hopkins Univ.) will give a talk on "Toward 3D Spectra of Galaxies". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'announcements: I recently posted an announcement about private industry internships in the sciences so be sure to check it out! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week.

Best,
Sarah

February 22, 2010

2010-02-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

I hope you all were able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather we're having! I heard it will soon turn in to rain, so get out and enjoy it while it lasts!

Meeting Minutes: We had a great meeting last week with lots of updates in curriculum changes and schedules.
Physics Summer Qtr Classes: Note that the summer time schedule currently lists Phys 227 however this will be changed to Phys 228. Also Phys 334 will be changed to a full-term class and Phys 335 will be dropped from the schedule.

Astronomy Spring Qtr Classes: Check out the time schedule to see the variety of classes being offered this spring!

New Physics/Astronomy Degree Requirements: Both physics and astronomy will be changing the degree requirements which is planned to be effective Autumn 2010. This will not impact anyone currently declared in both departments. However if you are declared Astronomy only, have been planning to declare physics but have not done so I would suggest to do this before autumn quarter so you are under the same requirements. More details on these changes will come out sometime in spring quarter.

New Astronomy Classes: Starting autumn quarter there will be several new classes. ASTR 400: Undergraduate research seminar (1 credit, CR/NC) hear about faculty research in the department, ASTR 427: Numerical Methods in Astrophysics, ASTR 498: Independent Research (this differs from ASTR 499 and is for students working on non-research projects, reading articles prior to working on research, etc.). We are trying to move away from using ASTR 497 for classes that are offered continuously.

2010-2011 Course Schedule Available: on the web: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/AnnualCourses10-11.pdf

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Deadline to submit abstracts is today!! (Feb. 22) http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/

Physics GRE Exam: There has been some concern over student preparation for the Physics GRE exam. If you have any comments or suggestions about your preparation for this exam, please feel free to send these to me or leave a note in my mailbox.

Volunteer for an Astronomy Conference!: The Department is hosting the 16th Cool Stars conference August 29-Sep 2 here on campus! We are seeking student volunteers for a variety of jobs and those volunteers that complete 15 hours of work will be able to attend the conference for free (note this does not include excursions and banquets). If you will be available the week prior to the conference and during the conference please sign up on the list in the computer lab. We will be holding a meeting in the spring to make final assignments.

Space Grant Summer Undergraduate Research Program: Looking for summer funding to stay on campus and do research? Check out the WA Space Grant SURP! http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html SURP offers part-time $2K stipends and full-time $4K stipends for undergraduates working on research projects with faculty.

Colloquium: Please join us on Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 for a talk by Lloyd Knox (UC Davis) on "Anisotropies in the infrared background as a probe of the complete history of star formation". Coffee, tea and cookies are served at 3:45pm in the foyer!

Astro Lunch: Tomorrow (2/23) YoungChul Kwon (UW) will give a lunch talk (noon-1) in the reading room (B356A) on "SkewReduce: Skew-Resistant Parallel Processing of Feature-Extracting Scientific User-Defined Functions". Please feel free to bring your lunch!

Page O'announcements: classes, campus events and more! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

February 16, 2010

2010-02-16T09:25:00.001-08:00

Good morning! Please join us today at 3pm for the winter quarter undergrad meeting. We will meet in Physics/Astronomy A216 to discuss class scheduling (including courses offered for 2010-2011), changes to the degree requirements as well as an opportunity to volunteer for an astronomy conference this summer. Snacks will be provided!

Spring Registration: Starts this week or next for many of you! Please be sure to check your DARS (found on MyUW) to double check which classes you still need to complete. You can also stop in to see me or send me an email.

Suggested General Ed Classes: Are you looking for a VLPA or I&S class? Check out the main campus advising website that compiles all of this information for you! http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/registration/sgec.php There is also a link on the right of the page for new courses or special offerings courses.

Undergrad Astronomy Wiki: There is an Astronomy Wiki available to you that has lots of great tips and advice! You can access the wiki when you're on a computer in the Department. http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/Academics:Undergraduates

Career Center: The UW has a great career center to help you with building your resume, improving your interviewing skills and offering tons of workshops! Check out all they have to offer: http://careers.washington.edu/

Page O'Announcements: Updated with 2010-2011 course schedule! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

February 8, 2010

2010-02-08T15:55:00.001-08:00

We will hold our winter quarter undergraduate meeting on Feb. 16 at 3pm in Phys/Astr A216. Please plan to attend as we will be discussing spring quarter classes as well as the 2010-2011 course schedule. Snacks will be provided!

Planetarium Movie Night: You are all invited to attend a movie night hosted by Pre-MAP on Thurs., Feb. 18 at 7pm. Join us in the Phys/Astr auditorium on the second floor! Bring pillows and snacks to relax. You can also bring a DVD as we will be voting on what to watch.

WiSE Conference: The UW Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) conference will be held on Sat., Feb. 20 from 8:30am-5pm. Check out more information about the WiSE conference here: http://www.engr.washington.edu/curr_students/studentprogs/wiseconfhilights.html

AstroLunch: This Wednesday at Noon in Phys/Astr B356A (aka the reading room), Sarah Martell (ARI/Univ of Heidelberg) will be giving a presentation on "Globular Cluster Contributions to the Galactic Halo". Feel free to bring your lunch!

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Christian Marois (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics) will give a talk on" Imaging Planets Orbiting other Stars: The HR8799 Multi-Planet System". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Looking for a something to do on campus? Career workshops? Check out the blog at http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/.

Astronomy Night at Shorecrest High School: Shorecrest High School is looking for volunteers to give mini-talks (10-15 min. repeating) at their annual Astronomy Night to be held on March 30. If you are interested in giving a talk, please contact the teacher Vince Santo Pietro at vince.santo.pietro@shorelineschools.org.

Post-graduation job opportunity: **Work for Change after Graduation. The Fund is Hiring** We?re looking for smart, socially conscious students who work well in a team and are eager to make a real impact on some of the most critical issues facing our society.

The Fund for the Public Interest (aka ?the Fund?) helps some of the top progressive organizations in the country work on issues like clean energy, equal rights, and pushing our country in a new direction. And we're hiring!

Specifically, we're hiring Citizen Outreach Directors to run our grassroots campaign offices across the country next fall -- working on behalf of groups like the Sierra Club, WashPIRG, Environment Washington, and the Human Rights Campaign.
We are looking for smart, motivated students who want to lead the way in working for the change our country needs.

If you are interested in applying, visit our website at www.fundjobs.org, or contact me directly ? 206-621-8334, krosen@fundstaff.org .

I'm looking forward to speaking with you more about our positions! Katrina Rosen, Canvass Director- Fund for the Public Interest.

Have a great week! Hope to see you all at the meeting next Tuesday!

Best,
Sarah

February 1, 2010

2010-02-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

We're well into the quarter now and I want to check in and be sure you're utilizing the resources available to you! There are study centers (Physics in the Auditorium Building, CLUE for a variety of classes in MGH, and the instructional center at 1307 NE 40th St). There are also Study Smarter Workshops available to you for free from the counseling center (on the 4th floor of Schmitz). Workshop topics include time management and text anxiety. In addition, remember to attend office hours or schedule a separate appointment with your professors if you're not understanding material in class.

Here are some events to keep in mind this week:

Spring Schedules: Let me know if you have questions as you begin to think about your spring quarter schedule. Registration begins as early as Feb. 19 for graduating seniors.

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Are you working on research? Present it to the UW Community at the 13th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. The symposium will be on May 21 in Mary Gates Hall. You must submit an application to participate by Feb. 22. Check out some of the workshops available for writing the application:

Abstract Writing Workshops are tailored to students who are applying to the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

The session includes a review of the Symposium application process, the logistics of the Symposium day, followed by information on what exactly is an abstract, how to write one, and what information to include. If you already have a draft, you may also bring this to the session for feedback.

Winter Quarter 2010
Wednesday, 2/3, 4-5
Thursday, 2/4, 12:30-1:30
Tuesday, 2/9, 4:00-5:00
Wednesday, 2/10, 3:30-4:30

To register, visit: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/courses/abstractwriting.html Space is limited!

More information about the Symposium can be found at: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html

Graduating seniors? Have you filled out a graduation application? If you plan to graduate in spring quarter, please see myself as well as Margot (for physics double majors) to fill out the paperwork for graduation. We will be sending out graduation information in a few months and want to be sure we have everyone on our list.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, David Schlegel (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab) will be giving a talk on "Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Surveys, BOSS and BigBOSS". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Summer Projects: A few more options for those looking at summer research projects; Johns Hopkins: http://www.Aplapp.com and Goddard: http://education.gsfc.nasa-telophase.com/

Page O'Announcements: Check out the different events happening on the Page O'announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Sarah

January 25, 2010

2010-02-01T15:27:00.001-08:00

Hello,

I hope you had a great weekend! Here are some things to keep in mind this week.

Spring Classes: The time schedule for spring is available this Friday. In Astronomy there will be: ASTR 323- extragalactic; ASTR 423- High Energy; ASTR 480- Data Analysis; ASTR 497A- Extrasolar Planets; and ASTR 497B- IDL Programming. Also note a class being offered in Applied Math under AMATH 483 on High-Performance Scientific Computing.

Jobs at the Pacific Science Center: PSC is looking for an astronomy person to work at the Planetarium. Check out the jobs available at PSC: http://www.pacsci.org/jobs/

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Rob Gibson (UW) will give a talk on "10% Inspiration, 40% Perspiration and 50% Simulation". Join us at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'announcements: Lots of events are posted here including career center workshops!! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

January 19, 2010

2010-01-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. REU deadlines are approaching so be sure you have everything in order including your letters of recommendation.

Winter graduation: Are you hoping to graduate this quarter? Have you applied to graduate? If not, please see me by this Friday, Jan. 22. You must fill out a graduation application in each department you are getting a degree in.

Undergraduate Research Symposium: If you're working on research, consider presenting your results at the UW annual undergraduate research symposium! The symposium will be on May 21 in Mary Gates Hall. We often have many astronomy students presenting posters and giving oral presentations. To participate you need to submit an application with abstract by Feb. 22 at 5pm. Check out the details here: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html

Undergrad Photos: Please S\send me a photo of yourself to add to the undergraduate photo board in the Department! A few guidelines: send only photos of yourself, the photo should have you as the focus and please keep the photos appropriate for display in the Department.

Colloquium: This week at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 Andrew Moore (Google) will give a talk on "Extreme Data Mining: Machine Learning in Adwords and Google Product Search". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Exploration Seminars: Want to study abroad but don't want to miss core classes during the academic year? Apply for an Exploration Seminar! These are fun 2-4 week abroad programs where you can earn academic credit for 1 course. Check out the different countries and classes where programs are being held: http://depts.washington.edu/explore/.

Page O'Announcements: there are lots of study abroad opportunities and more listed on the Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/.

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

January 11, 2010

2010-01-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great weekend! Remember that Monday, Jan. 18 is a state holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. There will be no classes and some buildings will be closed. Also note that libraries will be on holiday hours: http://www.lib.washington.edu/about/hours/

Here are some other things to consider this week:

Research Experiences for Undergrads: Don't forget to consider applying to a summer research program. Check out the different programs listed here: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm You can also check out opportunities posted on the bulletin board across from the undergrad lab.

Astronomy Colloquium: Join us on Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 for a talk by George Preston (Carnegie Obs) on "George Wallerstein, Omega Centauri, and the Periodic Table". This talk will be given to honor Prof. George Wallerstein, the first department chair of the UW Astronomy Department! Arrive at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies in the foyer.

Volunteers Needed Jan. 14 5pm: I am in need of 3-4 volunteers on Thursday evening to help with a Department event. I will need help setting up at 5pm and you are welcome to stay for the event. Please send me an email if you are able to volunteer your time.

Physics/Astronomy Building Permits: Please stop by the main office to pick up your Physics/Astronomy building permit if you have building keys. Everyone is required to have these permits if you are in the building after hours (7pm-7am M-F, All day Saturday and Sunday).

Undergrad Photos: Send me a photo of yourself to add to the undergraduate photo board in the Department! A few guidelines: send only photos of yourself, the photo should have you as the focus and please keep the photos appropriate for display in the Department.

Page O'Announcements: Check out the campus events, scholarships and job announcements!! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you have any questions and have a great week.

Best,
Sarah

January 4, 2010

2010-01-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to winter 2010!! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing break. Now we're back in session and ready to start the new year.

Changes to your schedule: remember that you have until Sunday, January 10 to make changes to your winter quarter schedule without incurring any fees. Check out the University calendar if you're unsure about deadlines: http://www.washington.edu/students/reg/0910cal.html#Q4

Building Permits: If you have Physics/Astronomy building keys, please be sure to pick up a new building use permit from the Astronomy front office. You are required to renew your permit every quarter.

Colloquium: our first colloquium will take place on Jan. 14.

Page O'Announcements: lots of course announcements, study abroad opportunities and tips about graduate school applications: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

iSchool Career Fair: iSchool Employer Connections Fair Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 1:30-4:30pm, Mary Gates Hall- The Commons Come learn about internship, career, and research opportunities with great organizations, like T-Mobile, Disney, CIA, IRS and many more! To see a complete list of participating employers and their descriptions, go to, http://ischool.uw.edu/resources/employerfair/participants.aspx. Take advantage of this opportunity to network with employers in IT and related fields. Hope to see you there!

Undergraduate Women in Physics Conference: We are writing to call your attention to the annual west coast Undergraduate Women in Physics Conference, being hosted this year by UCSC Jan. 15-17. This is an excellent opportunity for women in physics to meet other students and learn about opportunities in graduate school and in physics careers. Here's the website: http://dave.ucsc.edu/wipconf/

Have a great week!

Sarah

December 14, 2009

2009-12-14T16:37:00.001-08:00

Welcome to finals week! I hope that you all do well on your exams this week. There are just a few things I wanted to share with you today before you leave for the winter break.

American Astronomical Society (AAS): The AAS the primary society for Astronomers in the U.S. Check out their website for information on careers in Astronomy and to learn about the AAS Meetings where you can present your astronomy research! The AAS has several list serves, in particular the Women in Astronomy newsletter is a great email list to subscribe to. The Women in Astronomy newsletter is a weekly email with topics of interest to women in Astronomy and those who support them. To subscribe go to: http://lists.aas.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aaswlist

Page O'announcements: The blog will be updated over the winter break so be sure to check it out: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

I will be around over the break so please feel free to send an email or stop by if you have questions.

Happy holidays!
Sarah

December 9, 2009

2009-12-14T10:28:00.001-08:00

It's the last week of classes and you are all busy finishing classes and preparing for finals, but take a minute to read about what is happening this week as well as a few funding opportunities.

Presenting research at a conference? Get a travel award!: Undergraduates presenting research at a professional conference are eligible to submit an application for the Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Award. Applications are taken throughout the year but must be submitted at least 3 weeks prior to the conference. Read more: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/students/urcta.html

ASP Minority Scholarships: The American Physical Society has scholarships available for African American, Hispanic American and Native American college freshmen and sophomores. The scholarship is $2,000 and can be renewed for $3,000. The deadline to apply is Feb. 5, 2010. Check out the application:

http://aps.org/programs/minorities/honors/scholarship/

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Anna Frebel (Harvard) will give a talk on "What the Most Metal-poor stars tell us about the Early Universe". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Have a great week,
Sarah

November 30, 2009

2009-11-30T16:46:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend and had a great Thanksgiving. I will be out of the office starting at noon on Dec. 4 - Dec. 13. Please email or stop by this week if you have questions that can't wait until finals week. Paula Szkody will be available while I am out of town.

UW Career Center: There is a great career center on campus that can review a resume, setup mock interviews and help you search for jobs. Check out their website: http://careers.washington.edu/

REU: Research Experiences for Undergraduates are great research opportunities at other institutions. Check out the different REU's here: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm Deadlines to apply generally run from January-February.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Nancy Kiang (NASA Goddard) will be giving a talk on "Efficiency of Photon Energy Use for Life Processes: Implications for spectral biosignatures".

Colloquium: Please join us on Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 for a talk by Kelly Holley-Bockelmann (Vanderbilt Univ) on "How Black Holes Get Their Kicks". Coffee, tea and cookies are served at 3:45pm.

Page O'Announcements: Updated with lots of campus events: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Peace Corps Info Session: The Department of Astronomy currently has 4 members that volunteered in the Peace Corps. Peace Corps service is the opportunity of a lifetime. Volunteers have the opportunity to serve in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, and business. Please join us at the following events where returned volunteers will share their personal experience and tips to guide you through the application process.

Info Session

Thursday, December 3 • 4 to 5 p.m.
Career Services Center • 134 Mary Gates Hall

Questions?

Contact the UW On-Campus Peace Corps Rep: Erin Larsen-Cooper

Office 134 Mary Gates Hall
Hours Mondays 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. • Thursdays 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
E-mail pcorps@u.washington.edu
Phone 206.543.0535

November 23, 2009

2009-11-23T16:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope that you all get to take some time this week to think of things that you are thankful for, even if it includes being thankful for the quite time to think about it!

Winter Quarter Registration: Many of you have emailed me that you cannot get into classes for winter quarter. In general, my recommendation is to keep trying! Especially once grades come out from autumn quarter, students might be dropped from the next quarter class due to not meeting the prerequisites. Find out more tips and see what Departments recommend you do if you can't get into a class here: http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/registration/tgicrc.php

Activities to do on-Campus: Looking for something fun to do while you're taking a break from studying? Check out the following on-campus activities: Bowling at the HUB, Rocking Climbing at the IMA, Swimming at the Hutchinson Pool, Roller Skating at the IMA.

Page O'Announcements: Check out events happening all over campus: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

November 16, 2009

2009-11-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

Read below for information on a winter quarter class, how to borrow laptops from UW and much more!! Also, check your email this week for more information about additional astronomy classes (radio astronomy and history of astronomy) being offered winter quarter.

Numerical Methods in Astrophysics- winter course: This winter, Prof. Tom Quinn will be teaching numerical methods in astrophysics. The class, ASTR 497A (sln 10557) meets MW 1:30-2:50 and is three credits. As described by Prof. Quinn: "This is a hands-on course to learn methods for numerically solving problems that arise in astrophysics. Teaching programming is not the primary goal, nevertheless it is hoped that techniques for writing and debugging programs will be a useful side effect. Topics will include: interpolation and extrapolation, integration, ordinary differential equations, root finding, optimization, linear algebra, Monte-Carlo, an introduction to partial differential equations, and an introduction to parallel techniques." It is expected that you have some programming experience for this course.

Borrow Laptops and more!: UW Students can borrow laptops and other media equipment through the Student Technology Fee equipment loan program. Best of all there is no cost to borrow the equipment! Place a request online then pick it up in the basement of Kane Hall or at Health Sciences. Check out the details here: http://www.css.washington.edu/STFEquipment

Reserve study rooms at the Library: The study rooms in the libraries are awesome places to study! You can use the room for studying in groups or alone, the rooms can be reserved for up to 2 hours, and you get a key to go in and out of the room so you don't have to pack up all of your stuff to take a break. http://www.lib.washington.edu/services/facilities/studyRooms/

Thinking of becoming a teacher?: This Wednesday, Nov. 18 the UW College of Education is having an Open House. You can find out information about the Teacher Education Program and the Masters in Teaching degree. The Open House is 4:30-6pm in Miller 301. RSVP here http://education.washington.edu. You may also be interested in attending one of the information sessions specifically for potential teachers; Elementary Education 10/23/09 11am and Secondary Education 12/4/09 4pm. More info here: http://education.washington.edu/areas/tep/infosessions.html

Astro Lunch: Tuesday at 11:30 in Phys/Astr B356A, Rory Barnes (UW) will give a talk on "In with the Tide: the Coming Wave of Super-Earths, Super-Ios and Super- Venuses". Please feel free to bring your lunch!

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Kevin Zahnle (NASA Ames) will give a talk on "Earth after the Moon-forming Impact".

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Misty Bentz (UC Irvine-- formerly a UW undergrad!) will give a talk on "New Reverberation Mapping Results from the Link AGN Monitoring Project". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Always updated with campus information: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Science Workshop Facilitator Job: Science Workshop Facilitator
$13.25/hr, part-time, 9-19 hours per week

At Girl Scouts we know that given the opportunity, every girl can become a leader with the courage to act on her values, develop the ability to make clear decisions, and acquire the self confidence to make a difference in the world around her. Girl Scouts helps girls grow courageous and strong through girl-driven programs, reflecting the ever-changing needs and interests of girls.

Girl Scouts of Western Washington (http://www.girlscoutsww.org is currently seeking an enthusiastic individual (“Science is fun!”) looking to make an impact on the lives of girls to join our Science Program team as a Science Workshop Facilitator. This is a part-time, non-exempt position. Most working hours are late afternoons and evenings making it ideal for individuals seeking a second job or currently attending school.

Essential Functions:

Facilitate fun, hands-on science workshops for girls in grades 2-5.
Travel in Western Washington to facilitate, set-up and clean-up workshops.
Assist with large-scale science events such as museum days, engineering events and science overnights.
Prepare workshop materials and provide some assistance with curriculum development.
Flexible schedule; primarily evenings and weekends, varies between 9-19 hours a week through June. Mileage is reimbursed.
An ideal job for those interested in informal science education, youth work/teaching, science, or just helping girls grow strong.

Qualifications:

High school diploma/equivalent and at least 18 years of age.
Three years college study or equivalent life/work experience working with youth with a background in science or education desired.
Demonstrated passion for science and working with girls.
Specific science topic knowledge not required, but a willingness to learn is.
Skill and experience in working with children.
Possess strong written and oral communication skills (in English) and strong interpersonal skills.
Availability to work varied hours (primarily evenings/weekends).
Able to lift/carry up to 40 pounds.
Possess valid Washington Driver’s license, proof of insurance and vehicle in working condition capable of carrying workshop materials.
Maintain membership in Girl Scouts.

To apply, please submit resume to hr@girlscoutsww.org. For more information visit www.girlscoutsww.org

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

November 10, 2009

2009-11-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce that space has been dedicated for undergraduate studying in the computer lab! When we added five computers to the lab in September we removed the study space in the center of the room, but still wanted to provide a study space away from the computers. We have been able to move equipment out of the library section (towards the kitchen) and have put tables in. This space is now yours to use for studying!!

Don't forget, tomorrow is Veteran's Day so the University will be closed. Here are some events happening at UW to honor our Veterans: http://depts.washington.edu/memorial/veterans-day-open-houses/

Winter Registration: Many of you are registering for classes this week or next. Please stop in to see me if you have questions about what you should be registering for. If you need help finding a VLPA, I&S or Writing class, try using the General Education Requirement Search: http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/genedinq.html

Campus Writing Center: Did you know we have several writing centers on campus? There is one at Odegaard (http://depts.washington.edu/owrc/), one at CLUE (http://depts.washington.edu/clue/dropintutor_writing.php) and another at the Instruction Center (http://depts.washington.edu/ic/graphics/writing.php?style=graphics). Some tips about the writing center: make an appointment ahead of time (Odegaard in particular), bring anything you have that will help the tutor understand what you're trying to write, and you can go before you've even started writing to help brainstorm ideas. I went to check out Odegaard Writing Center last night and thought the tutor (Craig) was helpful, listened to my concerns about writing and had very insightful comments. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Study Smarter Workshops: The counseling center offers some great seminars on time management/procrastination and test anxiety/stress reduction. I sat in on the test anxiety/stress reduction workshop and was one of two people there! The student in the workshop essentially had a personal session with a counselor to address specific concerns about test taking. Check out the workshops offered here: http://depts.washington.edu/counsels/services/workshops/workshopstudy.html Don't have time to go to a workshop? Here are some tips for academic success: http://depts.washington.edu/counsels/services/workshops/workshoptips.html

Planetarium Notice: The planetarium will be undergoing projector renovation next week and will be unavailable for shows. Please remember that to use the planetarium you must be approved by the planetarium coordinator as well as sign up on the planetarium calendar. Email uwplanetarium@gmail.com to get approved and to sign up.

Astrobiology Seminar: Today at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Kevin Hand (JPL/CalTech) will give a talk on "Joule Heating of the South Polar Terrain on Enceladus".

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Roy Williams (CalTech) will give a talk on "Multiwavelength, Multitemporal and Transspectral Astronomy". Please join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

Page O'Announcements: Updated almost daily with information that may be useful! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ I've added some links like "Looking for a Job" and the General Campus Advising Center which has a cool GPA calculator and more!!

Have an excellent week!

Best,
Sarah

November 2, 2009

2009-11-02T13:35:00.001-08:00

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! This week there are several events going on as well as some tips about figuring out classes you need to take so please read. Good luck to everyone taking the GRE Physics exam this Saturday!

Undergrad Bulletin Board: Don't forget to check out the undergrad board near the computer lab on the 3rd floor of Phys/Astr. There are research opportunities and graduate school postings to read through!

Undergrad Photos: Thanks to those that have sent me their photos for the undergrad board. Keep 'em coming! Please send me a photo of your self that we can use to add to the undergraduate photo directory. A few guidelines: send only photos of yourself, the photo should have you as the focus and please keep the photos appropriate for display in the Department.

DARS: DARS is a degree audit tool to help you see which classes you've already taken towards a degree and which classes you still need to complete. You can find DARS on MyUW, in the Student Personal Services box, look for "Degree Progress". You should run a DARS at least once a quarter to see where you're at. I've attached a planning sheet that you can use to help develop an academic plan. You may also find this website helpful to know when classes are typically offered in Astronomy and Physics: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/YearTS.htm. Make an appointment to see me if you have questions or want to review a plan you come up with.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 2:30pm in PAA A118, Chris McKay (NASA Ames) will give a talk on "Results from the Mars Phoenix Mission for Mars Habitability and comparisons to Mars-like places on Earth".

Astrobiology Public Lecture: Chris McKay is also the public lecture speaker. On Tuesday at 7:30pm in Kane 120, Dr. McKay will give a talk on "Searching for Life". Free tickets can be obtained here: http://depts.washington.edu/astrobio/PubLec_tickets.html

Astro Lunch: On Wednesday this week at noon in the reading room, Phys/Astr B356A. Daniela Carollo (RSSA, Mt. Stromlo Obs.) will give a talk on "The Outer/Inner Halo Dichotomy as seen by SDSS". Please feel free to bring your lunch!

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Frank Bigiel (UC Berkeley) will give a talk on "The Relation between Gas and Star Formation in Nearby Galaxies on sub-kpc scales: What we learn about the Drivers of Cloud and Star Formation". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Random announcements, job postings, etc. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

NASA Paid Internship Opportunities: On Friday Nov. 13, 2009, the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium 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 or math.

WHEN: 3:30-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13.
WHERE: Johnson Hall (JHN) 102
*Free Food*

Former interns will chat about their experiences and offer insights into the application and interview process. This year we will have a Staff Scientist from the NASA Ames Research Center and a Program Coordinator from the NASA Johnson Space Center Skype in to speak about their opportunities to you and answer any questions you may have.

We will also give an overview of local research internship opportunities that will open soon, see below:

- Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP): http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html

- Private Industry in Washington State: http://www.waspacegrant.org/pvtindinterns.html
Aerojet
Tethers Unlimited
Woodruff Scientific Inc.

--Additionally, we will cover upcoming graduate student fellowships available: http://www.waspacegrant.org/grduate.html

Internship opportunities are located throughout the United States and applicants must be US citizens.
Food will be provided. This is an excellent opportunity to network, inform yourself about paid summer research work, and leverage yourself.

Have a great week!
Sarah

October 26, 2009

2009-10-26T14:41:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone that made it to the undergrad meeting last week. We covered classes for the year as well as discussed some upcoming "new" classes. The Department will be converting some special topics courses, previously listed under ASTR 497 to designated course numbers. This will be beneficial so rather than "special topics" showing on your transcript it will say "Numerical Methods in Astronomy" for example. This will not be retroactive, so if you've already taken special topics courses, they will remain on your transcript listed as "special topics". Let me know if you have questions about this. I will send out a final list next quarter.

Undergraduate Photos: Have you noticed the Department photo directory in the seating area on our floor? We need to add more undergraduates to this board! Please send me a digital photo of your self and I will put them up. Photos will be cropped and must be approved before going on the board, so please send nice pictures of yourself where you are easily seen.

Movie Night Oct. 30: Join the undergrads this Friday for a pre-Halloween movie night! We'll meet around 5pm in the computer lab. RSVP on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=158213123411&index=1

Page O'Announcements: Check out the blog for information on a study abroad for physics students: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/2009/10/rise-research-internships-in-science.html See the entire blog here: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ Included on the right of the page are links to help find a job.

Winter Classes: Take a look at the winter time schedule to set your classes for next quarter. http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/WIN2010/ Stop in to see me if you have questions about what you should be taking.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday Oct 27 at 2:30pm, Jade Bond (Univ of Arizona) will give a presentation on "The Diversity of Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets". The talk will take place in Phys/Astr A118.

Astrobiology Public Lecture: Tuesday, Oct 27 at 7:30pm, Keith Benson will give a talk on "Charles Darwin and Evolution Theory". The talk will take place in Kane 120 and free tickets are available here: http://depts.washington.edu/astrobio/PubLec_tickets.html

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Gerhardt Meurer (Johns Hopkins Univ) will give a talk on "Star Formation Scaling Relations in HI Selected Galaxies'. Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

October 19, 2009

2009-10-19T10:11:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Today is the quarterly undergraduate meeting! Join us at 3pm in B356A, aka the reading room to hear about summer research experiences, class recommendations for the year and much more!! Cookies will be available!!

Mary Gates Research Scholarship: are competitive scholarships available to enhance the educational experiences of students in all majors who are engaged in research with faculty. Autumn quarter deadline to apply is November 6, 2009 by 5pm. To learn more about the scholarship and attend information sessions, visit: http://www.washington.edu/uaa/mge/apply/research/deadlines.htm

NASA Undergraduate Student Research Project Spring and Summer 2010 Sessions

NASA’s Undergraduate Student Research Project is currently accepting applications for 15-week spring internships and 10-week summer 2009 internships. These internships offer students the opportunity to work alongside NASA scientists and engineers at NASA's field centers, laboratories and test facilities. The application deadline for the spring 2010 internships is Oct. 23, 2009. Applications for the summer 2010 session are due Jan. 22, 2010.
For more information and to apply online, visit http://usrp.usra.edu .

Attending a conference?: apply for an Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Award to help with your expenses. Visit http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/students/urcta.html for details and application.

Winter 2010 Time Schedule: http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/WIN2010/ Check out your classes for next quarter. Please stop in to see me if you have questions about what classes you should be taking.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Steve Benner (Univ of Florida) will give a talk on "Understanding the Origin of Life".

Astrobiology Fall Lecture Series: This quarter, Astrobiology is hosting a series of lectures. This week, Steve Benner will give a talk at 7:30pm in 120 Kane Hall on "The Origin of Life, the Universe and the Scientific Method". Get your free tickets for the next lecture (and further information) at http://depts.washington.edu/astrobio/PubLec_tickets.html

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Leo Girardi (INAF) will give a talk on "Star Clusters with Dual Red Clumps". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

Page O'Announcements: Looking for a job? Check out the new links on the right side of the Page O'announcements blog. I've listed 4 websites (aside from the POA itself) where you can search. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

See you this afternoon and have a great week!

October 13, 2009

2009-10-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

There are lots of different talks going on this week as well as some important research scholarship information to read about this week. Take a look!

Mary Gates Research Scholarship: This scholarship is for students who are already engaged in a research project and would like funding to help them continue their research. The scholarship is paid out in two quarterly installments of $2,000 each. The deadline to apply is November 6 by 5pm. There will be information sessions on Wed, Oct. 14 2:30-3:30 in 258 MGH and on Thurs, Oct. 15 4:30-5:30 in 211 MGH. Find out more here: http://www.washington.edu/uaa/mge/

Building Use Permits: Don't forget to pick up your building use permit if you have Phys/Astr building keys! You can stop by the front office and ask anyone to help you get one.

Graduation Applications: For those wanting to graduate this year, please come and see me to fill out important graduation paperwork! You will need to see each department that you are majoring in.

Science and Engineering Career Fair: October 29, noon - 5pm in the HUB ballroom. Check out the employers that will be there: http://uwseba.org/career-fair.html.

Astrobiology Seminar: Today (Tuesday) at 2:30pm in PAA A118, J. Michael Brown (UW- ESS) will give a presentation on "High Pressure Astrobiology: A Tutorial".

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, Moshe Eliztur (Univ of Kentucky) will give a talk on "The AGN Torus -- A Paradigm Change". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: A few job opportunities were just posted today. Make sure to check out the links on the right of the page for course information and grad school tips. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com

October 5, 2009

2009-10-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

There are lots of talks and events going on this week. Check out details below!

Undergrad Rep: Nominations for the undergraduate rep have been collected and elections will begin on Friday morning. Look in your inbox for details on how to vote on Friday!

Schedule Changes: October 6 (Tuesday!) is the last day to make changes to your class schedule without incurring any fees or tuition forfeiture.

Graduating Seniors! Please apply for graduation this quarter, even if you don't plan to graduate until Spring or Summer 2010. You need to fill out an application in each department you are majoring in.

Building Use Permits: All students that have building keys are required to have a building use permit. These permits are renewed quarterly and allow you to be in the Phys/Astr bldg after hours. Please stop by the Astronomy main office to pick up your new autumn quarter permit.

Astro Lunch: Astro Lunch is an informal talk given on Tuesdays at noon in Phys/Astr B356A (the reading room adjacent to the undergrad computer lab). Tomorrow at noon is a talk by Matthew Walker (University of Cambridge) who will give a talk on "The Milky Way's Satellites: Masses and Profiles".

Colloquium: Colloquium is on Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, everyone is welcome to attend. This week Anil Seth (Harvard Center for Astrophysics-- formerly a PhD student here at UW) will give a talk on "Nuclear Star Clusters and Black Holes". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'announcements: Lots of campus events and some jobs posted recently: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Gateway Center Advising: The Gateway center located in Mary Gates Hall is a great place to get advice. They have a fantastic website with lots of helpful tools. Check it out: http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/index.php

Enjoy the week and sunshine while it lasts! Feel free to stop in or make an appointment if you have questions.

September 28, 2009

2009-09-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all of our new and returning Astronomy majors!

On behalf of the entire Department, I hope that you all had a enjoyable summer. The start of fall quarter is always my favorite time of year when I get to meet so many new students and check in with returning ones. I love to hear of your summer adventures, the incredible research you were doing and about the jobs you worked. Send me emails of what you did this summer! Now we're all back and ready to start this new school year off! There are some important topics I want to cover so please read on.

Undergrad Representative Elections: Thank you to James Bushong who worked hard as your undergraduate representative last year. At this time we would like to collect nominations for a representative for the 2009-2010 academic year. You can nominate yourself or someone else; all of those nominated will be asked if they would like to hold the position. After nominations we will hold brief elections. To make a nomination please visit: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/sterrs/84671

The undergraduate representative attends faculty meetings and acts as a liaison to the faculty. When issues arise, the chair will contact the undergraduate representative to assist with finding a solution.

Computer Lab: Thanks to some amazing proposal writing and volunteer effort you all now have 24 new computers! Please be respectful of this area and the computers. Remember to avoid eating/drinking and be sure to clean up after yourself. Let's try to keep the lab as clean as possible! Also note that during the quarter there are classes held in the lab. I will post a schedule on the door so you know when the computers (or most of them at least) are in use.

Graduating Seniors!!: If you plan to graduate this year (including spring and summer!), please come see me within the next few weeks to fill out graduation paperwork. Paperwork must be filled out in each department that you are majoring in. Graduation paperwork for minors can be filled out along with the major in any department.

Science and Engineering Career Fair: October 29 from noon-5pm in the HUB Ballroom. There will be a large number companies hiring graduating seniors. Check out more information here: http://www.uwseba.org/career-fair.html

GRE Physics Deadline: The deadline to register for the Nov. 7 GRE Physics exam is October 2. Visit www.gre.com to register.

State of the Department: Join us at 3pm Tuesday (Sep. 29) to kick off the new year and hear what has been happening in the Department. This annual event will be in Phys/Astr C520. Food will be served at 2:45pm.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Lisa Kewley (University of Hawaii) will give a talk on "Chemical Evolution of Galaxies: Local Mergers to Cosmic Time". Please join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: The Page O'announcements is updated all the time. Check out the links on the right of the page for graduate school resources, general advising tips and the Astronomy annual course offerings. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

We hope to see you in the coming weeks even if it's just a quick hello as you're off to class. As always, please let Paula (szkody@astro.washington.edu) or myself know if you have any questions.

Welcome back!

Sarah

August 25, 2009

2009-08-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

I hope you're all having an incredible summer! Some of you are just getting back from REUs or traveling the world, others just finished summer quarter and are finally getting to relax. Regardless of what you are doing, I hope this email finds you all well.

I have a list of announcements and important things for you to consider, so please read on!

Astronomy Computer Lab: Thanks to the efforts of Tom Riecken, the undergrad computer lab is getting an upgrade! We will be installing 25 new workstations in the lab ready for everyone to use when school begins. We need 4 volunteers to help us with tear down, reorganizing and setup. We will be doing this starting Sep. 10 and hope to finish no later than Sep. 16. Free pizza for those that volunteer! Please email me if you are willing to volunteer your time.

Undergraduate Representative: Thanks to James Bushong, who has done a great job being the undergraduate representative for the first term. We would like to hold elections for a new representative once school begins. The undergrad representative attends faculty meetings and acts as a liaison for undergraduates to the department. Please consider being the undergraduate representative for the 2009-2010 year! I'll send out more details as the new quarter approaches.

GRE Physics Registration Deadlines: For those of you planning to take the GRE Physics subject test this fall, please note the registration deadlines. For the Oct. 10 test date, registration ends September 4 (next week!). The Nov. 7 test date has a registration deadline of Oct. 2.

Dawg Daze: Check out all of the great events happening on campus the week of Sep. 27, http://depts.washington.edu/dawgdaze/index.php. You may want to visit Odegaard on Sep. 28 from 1-4pm where UW Technology will be introducing microsoft and google partnerships, plus prizes and giveaways.

Mary Gates Research Scholarship: The Mary Gates Research Scholarship provides awards of $4,000 paid out over two quarters. The deadline to apply is November 6 by 5pm. Please visit the website and read more: http://www.washington.edu/uaa/mge/.

Page O'Announcements: Several campus job announcements have been posted recently, check out the blog! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

I'm around all break, so feel free to send me an email or stop in to say hi! Now is a great time to meet if you want to work out class schedules or a graduation plan.

Best,
Sarah

June 8, 2009

2009-06-08T12:13:00.001-07:00

Congratulations on a fantastic year! The Astronomy Department will be open during the summer so please send email or stop in to say hello. I will resume the weekly emails in September just before school begins. We will still send out important information as it comes up over the summer so be sure to check your email.

Congratulations to our graduation class of 2009!!!
Darrell Bird
Eric Bullock
Frank Garcia
Dylan Grayston
Aaron Hossak
Bryce Kalmbach
Ryan Maas
Rosalie McGurk
Dylan Morgan
Tanner Nakagawara
Aaron Prestegard
Mcihael Rodruck
Amy Rose
Andrew Short
Nick Ule

Baer Prize: We had 5 undergrads win the Baer prize last week!
Thomas Gomez
Jeanne McKeever
Lauren Pope
Thomas Riecken
Eric Bullock

Check out the Page O'Announcements over the summer for upcoming events, jobs and other great opportunities: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T16:31:00.001-07:00

You've all made it to the last week of classes! Good luck on your upcoming exams. There are just a few announcements this week as we head into summer. The department is open over the summer, so please feel free to email or stop in!

Undergrad Meeting Minutes:
Curriculum Highlights:
- ASTR 497A (sln 10599) in autumn quarter is a 1 credit CR/NC research seminar where you will listen to presentations by members of our department in various research fields.
- ASTR 482 (sln 10598) is our writing course where you will create a graduate school application essay, resume and research articles.
- A comprehensive list of classes being offered next year is listed here: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/YearTS.htm

Graduate School tip: Paula suggested that those interested in applying for graduate schools make a list of schools they want to apply to then check that list with at least 3 faculty members (feel free to run this list past Paula as one). Each faculty member has a different perspective on the schools and may be able to give you some insight.

GRE Physics Test Dates 09-10: Oct. 10 (registration deadline Sep. 4) and Nov. 7 (registration deadline Oct. 2). See www.gre.com for details. Some tips on the GRE and helpful websites are on the wiki (which can be accessed while you're on a dept. computer): http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/GRE. (Graduating seniors, please feel free to add your comments/helpful websites to the wiki!)

Jobs in Astronomy: job postings are available on the bulletin board outside of the computer lab as well as the AAS job register: http://members.aas.org/JobReg/JobRegister.cfm

PAL: Thanks to Suzanne, our dept. chair, for working so hard to keep the Phys/Astr Library open! Here is the link for student employment opportunities with the UW Libraries throughout campus: http://www.lib.washington.edu/about/employment/students/.

Baer Prize: Join us on Thursday at colloquium to congratulate the recipients of the John Baer Prize, an undergraduate award given to those with outstanding research, academics or service to the Department.

Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, Monika Kress (SJSU) will give a talk on "Evolution of organics in planet-forming disks". This is the last colloquium for the quarter, so please join us for coffee, tea and cookies in the foyer at 3:45pm.

Page O'Announcements: Updated throughout the summer... http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/.

Have a great week!

May 26, 2009

2009-05-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. Tomorrow (Wed.) at 4pm, we will have our quarterly undergraduate meeting. Join us in the reading room (B356A) to hear about classes for next year, research and plans for our graduating seniors. Snacks will be provided. Read below for scholarships, fun events, summer course in planetary geology, a planetarium update and more!

Presidential and Boeing Scholarships:
EIP is now accepting applications for Presidential and Boeing Scholarship. The Stipend will range from $3,500-$4,500 for both Presidential and Boeing Scholarship for 2009-2010 Academic Year. Deadline June 30.

For printer friendly application online via PDF, please go to:
http://depts.washington.edu/eip/

For further information related to Presidential Scholarship please go to:
http://depts.washington.edu/eip/presschol.htm

For further description of the Boeing Scholarship please go to:
http://depts.washington.edu/eip/boeing.htm

To look at the profiles of past & present Presidential and Boeing Scholars please go to:
http://depts.washington.edu/eip/Presidential%20and%20Boeing.htm
http://depts.washington.edu/eip/Presidential%20and%20Boeing%202007-2008.htm.

Washington Research Foundation Fellowship: Washington Research Foundation Fellowships (WRFF) for advanced undergraduates support promising students who work on creative and sophisticated science and engineering research projects under the guidance of UW faculty. Deadline is June 1. More information and application available at: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/students/wrff.html.

Mars Research in ESS: The research position working in ESS has been filled.

Planetary Geology Summer ESS 306:
This course offers an up-to-date survey of features and processes on and within planets and their moons deduced from sampling, remote sensing, spacecraft imagery, and theory. Comparative discussion of topics that include impact
cratering, volcanism, tectonics, surface processes and the role of water and ices. Prerequisite: either ESS 101, ESS 105, ESS 210, ESS 211, OR SIMILAR. Contact the insreuctor, Josh Bandfield for an add code if needed. His email address is: joshband@u.washington.edu

ESS 306 sln 11108 Meets TTh 12:40-2:10, T 2:20-4:30

Physettes Bowling: Join the Physettes for a fun night of bowling at the HUB Games Area. Thursday, 5pm. Bring food, $3 for bowling and hang out.

Planetarium Update: The planetarium is currently under going some difficulties. It seems that a motor is not working. The star ball makes a lot a noise and tends to smoke if left on for more than a few seconds.

Please do not use the star ball in the planetarium. Toby is investigating this and will give us an update when we know more.

Baer Prize: Every year the faculty award the John E. Baer Prize to undergraduates that have shown outstanding work and enthusiasm for research, coursework or outreach. Please join us at the final colloquium for this year on June 4 at 4pm in PAA A102 as we announce the winners of this award.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, Lucianne Walkowicz (UC Berkeley, PhD from UW) will give a talk on "Winning the Stellar Staring Contest: Highlights of the Kepler Mission". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'Announcements: Updated regularly with classes and events: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the week!

Best,
Sarah

Research Scholarships- May 19, 2009

2009-05-19T09:56:00.001-07:00

I wanted to send out a special email about a few research scholarships with deadlines approaching. I encourage you to apply as we have had several undergraduates be very successful in obtaining these scholarships. - Sarah

Presidential and Boeing Scholarship

We are now accepting applications for Presidential and Boeing Scholarship. The Stipend will range from $3,500-$4,500 for both Presidential and Boeing Scholarship for 2009-2010 Academic Year. Deadline June 30.

For printer friendly application online via PDF, please go to:

http://depts.washington.edu/eip/

For further information related to Presidential Scholarship please go to:

http://depts.washington.edu/eip/presschol.htm

For further description of the Boeing Scholarship please go to:

http://depts.washington.edu/eip/boeing.htm

To look at the profiles of past & present Presidential and Boeing Scholars please go to:

http://depts.washington.edu/eip/Presidential%20and%20Boeing.htm

http://depts.washington.edu/eip/Presidential%20and%20Boeing%202007-2008.htm.

Washington Research Foundation Fellowship: Washington Research Foundation Fellowships (WRFF) for advanced undergraduates support promising students who work on creative and sophisticated science and engineering research projects under the guidance of UW faculty. Deadline is June 1. More information and application available at: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/students/wrff.html.

May 18, 2009

2009-05-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

Finally some beautiful, warm weather this weekend that I hope you all had some time to enjoy. Mark your calendars! There will be an undergraduate majors meeting on Wednesday, May 27 at 4pm in the reading room (B356A). We have a number of talks going on this week so read below and I hope to see you at some of them!

Class Scheduling for 09-10: Please be sure to look at the proposed class schedule for the next academic year for both astronomy and physics. Both can be found here: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/YearTS.htm. Several of you have already noticed that Phys 324: electromagnetism is only offered autumn and summer next year. Phys 331: Optics is only offered in the autumn. Taking a look at future quarters may save you some headache later on. Let me know if there are scheduling questions.

Astro Lunch: Tomorrow at 12:30pm in B356A, Nate Kaib (UW) will give a talk on "Constraining Solar System Formation with Long-Period Comets". Please bring your lunch to this informal talk.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tomorrow at 2:30pm in PAA A118, Dirk Schulze-Makuch (WSU) will give a talk on "Mars, Venus, and What's Life Got To Do With it".

John Baer Prize: Every year the faculty award the John E. Baer Prize to undergraduates that have shown outstanding work and enthusiasm for research, coursework or outreach. Please join us at the final colloquium for this year on June 4 at 4pm in PAA A102 as we announce the winners of this award.

Debra Fischer Public Lecture: Wednesday at 7pm in Architecture 147, Dr. Debra Fischer (San Francisco State Univ) will give a public lecture on "Searching for Earths". This talk will focus on the types of planets that have been found so far, with an eye toward understanding how our solar system compares. We will also discuss the conditions that are important for life as we know it and our future plans to one day obtain a picture of a pale blue dot orbiting a nearby star. Everyone is welcome to attend. *No tickets required*

Colloquium: Dr. Debra Fischer is also our colloquium speaker this Thursday. At 4pm in PAA A102, Dr. Fischer's talk is on "Formation of Planets in Binary Star Systems". This is her scientific talk during her visit and will have a slightly different focus and level of assumed knowledge than the public lecture on Wednesday; perfect for astronomy majors to attend! Please join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

MESA Tutoring: MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) is looking for summer math tutors. Take a look at the application for details: http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/MESATutorApplication09.doc.

Page O'Announcements: As always, the Announcement page is updated with new job postings and campus events. Take a look! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the week and have a great Memorial Day weekend!

May 11, 2009

2009-05-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of email circling about the Phys/Astr Library closure. A website has been setup here if you want to follow the details or add comments: http://faculty.washington.edu/london/pal/index.html

Fall Registration: Registration is upon us for autumn quarter. Please make sure you run a DARS (found on MyUW) to get an up-to-date audit of which classes you still need to complete for your major requirements. I'm happy to answer questions about classes, stop in or send an email.

Astro Lunch: Tuesday at 12:30 in Phys/Astr B356A (aka the reading room), Adi Zolotov (NYU) will give an informal talk on "The Dual Origin of Stellar Halos". Please feel free to bring your lunch.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm, John Peters (Montana State Univ) will give a talk on "Iron-Sulfur Enzymes: Insights into the origin of life on Earth". The talk will be in Phys/Astr A118.

Astro Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Amy Mainzer (JPL) will be giving a talk on the "Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Undergraduate Research Symposium: This Friday is the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at Mary Gates Hall. The symposium is all afternoon and we have lots of students participating. Posters will be up from noon-1 and a different set from 2:30-3:30, check out all of the astronomy research your peers are doing! We have a room of astronomy-related talks going on from 1-2:30pm in MGH 284, Kenza Arraki, James Bushong, Lauren Pope, Whitney Kropat and Joel Leigh.

Page O'Announcements: Another job was posted today and still filled with lots of great campus events. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

The Astronaut Scholarship Experience: We are pleased to invite you to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Experience presentation by Space Grant scholar Pavan Vaswani. Please look below for the details. We will have snacks, coffee and some other goodies for you.

Speaker: Pavan Vaswani
Title: Breakfast with Buzz Aldrin and on the Launchpad of the Shuttle Endeavor: The Astronaut Scholarship Experience
When: Thursday 5/14 from 3.30-5.00 pm
Where: JHN 117

Pavan's Summary:
I had a chance to attend the Astronaut Scholarship Reception and Technical Conference in beautiful Cape Canaveral, Florida last week. It was an amazing trip -- we had breakfast with Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, Al Warden, Scott Carpenter, Laura Shepherd and many others; were able to go ONTO the launchpad of the Space Shuttle Endeavor and see the last time in history two shuttles will be on both launchpads; went to the Orbital Processing Facility to see Discovery being prepared for an upcoming trip; attended a Gala where we dined underneath a Saturn V rocket; talked to Astronauts, Cosmonauts, private aerospace corporation CEOs, space enthusiasts, and others.

Have a great week.

May 4, 2009

2009-05-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all that volunteered at the open house this weekend! It was great to have a large undergraduate presence there. I also got the chance to say hello to many of you with your families at the Frank Drake talk on Saturday. Check out the image attached, these are the "Floater" life forms that Frank Drake talked about at the lecture.

Here are some things to keep in mind this week:

Autumn Quarter Registration: Begins Monday! Feel free to stop in to see Paula and myself to make sure you're on track with classes. Run a degree audit (DARS) through MyUW to see what classes you still need to take.

Autumn Astro Classes: Autumn quarter we are offering the following courses for majors:
Astronomy 321: Solar System
Astronomy 425: Cosmology
Astronomy 482: Scientific Writing
Astronomy 497: Undergraduate research seminar
Astronomy 500: Methods for Teaching Astronomy

Annual Drop/Satisfactory-Non Satisfactory Grading: The last day to use your annual course drop or to change the course grading to satisfactory/non-satisfactory is May 17. Review the policies regarding your annual drop (http://www.washington.edu/students/reg/wdpolicy.html) and S/NS Grading (http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Grading_Sys.html). Courses graded S/NS do not count towards requirements needed to graduate.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tomorrow at 2:30pm, Felisa Wolfe-Simon (Harvard) will give a talk on "Geobiochemistry and Evolutionary Metallomics: The evolution of life and the biochemical consequences of Earth history". Felisa's talk will be in Phys/Astr A118.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm, Shep Doeleman (MIT) will give a talk on "mm/submm VLBI of SgrA*: An Event Horizon Telescope". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer of Phys/Astr A102 for coffee, tea and cookies.

Page O'announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ A great place to get info on campus events, courses, scholarships and many other topics! Note that today I posted a job announcement for a student assistant at the dental school and I know a few of you are looking for jobs. Housing and Food Services and the libraries are other great places to look for on campus jobs: hfs.washington.edu "Student Employment" and lib.washington.edu "About --> Employment".

Have a great week! Feel free to stop by if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Sarah

April 27, 2009

2009-04-27T14:00:00.001-07:00

We had such a nice weekend, let's keep our fingers crossed for this next one! Thanks to many of you that have volunteered to help at the open house this weekend. We could still use a few more volunteers if you're interested. Specifically, I am looking for a few students to help with ticket taking at the Frank Drake lecture on May 2. This would involve greeting guests and taking tickets (or checking names off a list) at the entrances to Kane 120. You would need to be at Kane by 6:30pm with the lecture starting at 7pm. For helping out, volunteers will not need a ticket and will have reserved seats! Please let me know if you're interested.

Here are some other events going on this week:

Open House: Saturday, May 2! All are welcome to attend. We'll have a variety of talks like "Venus: The Planet from Hell" and "Massive Stars", sundial and pendulum tours, and planetarium shows. Join us from 4-7pm in the Physics/Astronomy Auditorium building. 7-8pm is Frank Drake's lecture in Kane 120 and following the public lecture there will be telescope viewing in Red Square (weather permitting). Note that the public lecture at 7pm is currently full. Students are encouraged to attend Thursday colloquium.

Grad/Undergrad Pizza Lunch: The astronomy graduate students invite all undergraduates to a pizza lunch on Wednesday at 12:30 in Phys/Astr B356A (aka the Reading Room). Pizza will be $1/slice. Join this informal group to discuss questions on your mind. This lunch in particular will have a focus of discussing graduate school and studying for the GRE Physics exam.

Astro Lunch: Tomorrow at 12:30 in Phys/Astr B356A (the reading room), George Wallerstein (UW) will give a talk on "The Chemical Composition of RR Lyrae Stars". Feel free to bring your lunch to this informal talk.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tomorrow at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Stephen Wood (UW ESS) will give a talk on "Mars Subsurface Warming at Low Obliquity: Potential for periodic production of liquid water".

Colloquium: Frank Drake will give a scientific talk on "The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" this Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102. This will be similar to his public lecture on Saturday, but for a scientific audience. I encourage you all to attend! Dr. Frank Drake is the founder of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI). Dr. Drake is a leader in astrobiology and is famous for formulating an equation which estimates the number of civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy that would be in a position to communicate with the Earth. He'll be talking about the Drake Equation and about recent developments in SETI. Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies!

ESS 306 Planetary Geology Course: ESS 306, Planetary Geology Summer Quarter (full term) TTh 12:40 - 2:10, Lab T 2:20- 4:30) SLN 11108 Up-to-date survey of features and processes on and within planets and their moons deduced from sampling, remote sensing, spacecraft imagery, and theory. Comparative discussion of topics that include impact cratering, volcanism, tectonics, surface processes and the role of water and ices. Prerequisite: either ESS 101, ESS 105, ESS 210, ESS 211.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Best,
Sarah

April 20, 2009

2009-04-20T14:34:00.001-07:00

Spring is finally here! I hope the quarter is going well so far, please stop by if you have any questions. Here are some events and things to keep in mind this week.

Astronomy Colloquium: Thursday at 4pm in A102, Drake Deming (NASA Goddard SFC) will give a talk on "The EPOXI/EPOCh Investigation of Extrasolar Planets". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Open House Posters: As part of the open house, we would like to display student research posters. If you have a mounted research poster to share, please email me to work out details. We are asking to have you stand with your poster for 30-45 minutes to answer questions. The Open House is May 2 from 4-7pm. We have lots of volunteer opportunities, if you would like to volunteer in other ways please email me.

Page O'Announcements: Lots of good info about campus events, occasional job postings and other good info for Astronomy students. http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Best,
Sarah

April 13, 2009

2009-04-14T08:13:00.001-07:00

I hope you're all doing well and enjoyed the weekend. Here are some things to keep in mind this week.

Astronomy Open House: This is the International Year of Astronomy and we are planning a great open house but we could use your help in making it happen. If you're interested in volunteering check out the wiki and sign up for an event: http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/Open_House.

>From 4-7pm in the Phys/Astr Auditorium there will be lab demos, talks, edible comets, and planetarium shows. At 7pm, join us in Kane 120 for a talk by Frank Drake, SETI. 8pm we will join members of the astronomical societies for a night viewing in Red Square.

Colloquium: This week, Jason Barnes (Univ of Idaho) will give a talk on "Titan- An Oasis in the Outer Solar System". The talk is on Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102. Coffee, tea and cookies are served at 3:45pm in the foyer. Please join us!

DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System): DARS is an incredible tool for you to use while trying to figure out which classes to take next quarter or seeing how close you are to graduating. DARS takes your personal transcript and runs it through any major on campus to show you what requirements you've met and which ones you still need to complete. To access DARS, log in to MyUW and look for DARS in the student services section. Feel free to print it out and we can review it with you!

TUI summer internship: If you are looking for a private industry internship over the summer this may be an option for you. Tethers Unlimited Inc. TUI, based in Bothell, develops advanced space technologies for NASA and the Department of Defense. Their areas of research include advanced space propulsion, avionics and space instrumentation, underwater tether systems, and the fabrication and testing of spacecraft components.Learn more bout Tethers at:
http://www.tethers.com/

If you are interested, look at the flyer (http://staff.washington.edu/sterrs/TUI%20Summer%20Internships%202009.pd f) for application instructions and apply by May 8th. Ensure you let Carlos Chavez know that you are applying for this opportunity via e-mail (jcc5@u.washington.edu).

Have a great week everyone!

Best,
Sarah

April 6, 2009

2009-04-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here! Take a moment this week to walk through the Quad and enjoy the cherry blossoms. There are some important items in this week's email so please read on.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 Jaymie Matthews (U British Columbia) will give a talk on "The MOST microsat: A suitcase full of stars (and exoplanets)". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Melissa Trainer (NASA Goddard) will give a talk on "Abiotic Chemistry, Atmospheric Hazes, Titan, and the Early Earth".

Astronomy Honors Requirement: majors interested in graduating "with Distinction" can apply for departmental honors. Requirements: 3.7 gpa in Astronomy coursework and 6 credits of Astronomy 499 research. Please see Sarah Garner in the front office to apply.

University Foreign Language Changes: The University has approved the following change for the foreign language requirement. Beginning Autumn 2009, students can satisfy the University foreign language if they completed the third year of a high school foreign language. This is not an option for anyone graduating in spring or summer 2009. If you have questions about this please contact me.

Open House Volunteers needed: Please consider volunteering for the Astronomy Open House on Sat. May 2. If you are interested you can view available positions on the wiki http://librarian.phys.washington.edu/astro/index.php/Community:Open_House#Volunteers (access from a dept. computer) or contact Ferah Munshi (fdm@astro.washington.edu).

Page O'Announcements: A great place to learn about campus events, jobs, career opportunities and scholarships. Also has great links for Astronomy majors on the side: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Masters in Teaching Info Session: Math/Science Master in Teaching Info Session is Tuesday, April 28th at 5pm. Are you interested in learning more about becoming a Math or Science Teacher? You're invited to this info session to learn more about programs, faculty, student experience and specific funding opportunities available. Please register for the session here: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/paulajw/72435.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program: This summer program has a $4,000 full time stipend and a $2,000 part time stipend. It runs from June 22 - August 21. The deadline to apply is April 17. Details: http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html

McNair Program: The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program prepares undergraduates for doctoral study through involvement in research and scholarly activities, including a minimum $2,800 research stipend. The deadline to apply is April 24. For more information please go to: http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/about.htm

You will find the online application in printable PDF in: http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/index.htm

In order to apply for the McNair Program, you must meet the following eligibility criteria, set by the U.S. Department of Education. Because this is a federally funded program, these are strict requirements.

To be eligible, you:

· must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

· must be a low-income student who is also a first-generation college student (for detailed descriptions, click on the links); or
must be a member of a group that is underrepresented in graduate education (African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander)

· must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate in a degree program at the UW1

· must have completed 36 credits by the time of initial entry into the program

· must have at least one year remaining before graduation (i.e., if you are graduating within the year, you are not eligible for the program)

· must have a minimum cumulative GPA of: 2.8 (sophomores), 3.0 (juniors), 3.2 (seniors)

· must express STRONG desire to attain a Ph.D.2

1Post-baccalaureate students and students who already have one bachelors degree are not eligible for the program.
2Students whose career goals include a medical (MD) or other professional degree (JD, MBA, PharmD, etc.) are not eligible for the program.

UW Career Fair: April 15 at the HUB from 3-7pm. Details here: http://careers.washington.edu/UW-Spring-Fair

On Campus Job Interview Program: employers come to campus and interview students for jobs! April 6- May 29. Find out more: http://careers.washington.edu/Students/On-Campus-Interviews

Please stop by and see me if you have any questions.

Best,
Sarah

March 30, 2009

2009-03-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to spring quarter! It doesn't quite feel like spring but hopefully it's just around the corner. Here are some things to keep in mind this week.

Registration: You have until April 5 to change your course schedule on MyUW without incurring any fees or tuition forfeiture. Let me know if you're having any registration problems.

Research Form: If you are registering (or have already registered) for Astr 499, undergrad research you need to fill out a form and have your research adviser sign it. Please pick up a form in the Astronomy front office.

Building Permits: Remember that you need building permits if you have keys and will be in the computer lab after hours or on weekends. Please stop by the front office to pick yours up.

Astrobiology Seminar: Tuesday at 2:30pm in Phys/Astr A118, Radu Popa (Portland State Univ) will give a talk on "Xenobiology- The non-Earth-centric quest for the origin of life".

Astro Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Rory Barnes (UW) will give a talk on "Packed Planetary Systems". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Have a great first week back!

Best,
Sarah

March 16, 2009

2009-03-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

This is the last email for winter quarter. As we finish up, there are just a few things to keep in mind.

Building Use Permits: If you have keys to the building, you must renew your building permit quarterly. Please stop in the Astronomy front office and pick up your spring quarter permit.

Summer Undergrad Research Program (SURP): This summer program has a $4,000 full time stipend and a $2,000 part time stipend. It runs from June 22 - August 21. The deadline to apply is April 17. Details: http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html

Page O'Announcements: Updated over spring break! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you're having trouble registering or finding classes for spring. Enjoy your spring break!

Best,
Sarah

March 9, 2009

2009-03-10T08:05:00.001-07:00

The quarter is nearly over! Check out what's happening this week:

Radio Astronomy Seminar: Spring quarter there will be a 1 credit radio astronomy seminar offered. It is credit/no credit and offered Tues at 12:30-1:20 (sln 19234). Let me know if you have questions about this.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Karrie Gilbert (UW) will give a talk on "Stellar Halo Formation in a Hierarchical Universe: Lessons from Our Sister Galaxy M31". Join us at 3:45pm for coffee, tea and cookies in the foyer.

Astro Lunch: Tuesday, at 12:30 in Phys/Astr B356, Erika Bohm-Vitense (UW) will give a talk on "The influence of rotation on convection, and vice versa". Feel free to bring your lunch.

Page O'Announcements: Lots of good info! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Have a great week.

Best,
Sarah

Spring 09 Radio Astronomy Seminar

2009-03-06T08:45:00.001-08:00

Dear all,

In Spring quarter we will offer a one-hour-per-week series of lectures and lab demos on "Radio Astronomy". Prof. Sullivan will give lectures on principles of observing and measuring signals; Prof. Morales will provide 1-2 weeks of lab demonstrations of basic measurements of radio power and frequencies; and Dr. Murphy will focus on what's being viewed in the sky (synchrotron and free-free radiation, H II regions and supernova remnants, the sun, pulsars, 21 cm H line, etc.). We are designing these to be good background info for those undergrads interested in the Student Radio Telescope, although in the short available time only limited topics can be covered. The course will be one credit-hour, graded CR/NC, and student responsibility, besides some readings and participation in classes, will be a short paper (5-6 pp.) on some aspect of radio astronomy.

In Winter quarter 2010, there is also a good chance that Sullivan will be teaching ASTR 497 (Special Topics, 3 credits) on the topic of "Radio Astronomy". Stay tuned.

Course details: ASTR 497A (sln 19234) meets Tues 12:30 - 1:20 in Benson 203. Registration is now open.

Please contact Prof. Sullivan or myself if you have questions.

Thanks,
Sarah

March 2, 2009

2009-03-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to James Bushong, the new Astronomy undergraduate representative. James is already busy working with the department chair, Suzanne Hawley in planning the annual open house and will be attending faculty meetings. With Paula, James and myself we hope that we can answer your questions and provide support when needed.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Mike Garcia (Harvard/Smithsonian) will give a talk on "The International X-ray Observatory". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Astro Lunch: Astro lunch this week will be held on Thursday at 12:30 in Phys/Astr B356A. Adam Frank (Univ of Rochester) will give a talk on "Turbulence and Protostellar Feedback in Molecular Clouds". Feel free to bring your lunch.

Registration: let me know if you are having any trouble registering for spring quarter classes. Some good places to look for general courses are the advising page (http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/registration/sgec.php) and the general education requirement course search (http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/genedinq.html).

Undergrad research: Don't forget, if you are registering for Astronomy 499, undergraduate research you need to fill out a research approval form. You can pick it up from the front office. This helps us know who is doing research and on what topics.

NASA Stennis Space Center Education Job: The NASA Stennis Space Center is looking for candidates interested in a 1-year assignment as the Elementary-Secondary and eEducation Projects Coordinator. This would be great for graduating seniors to consider!

How to Apply: Applicants must apply via email only by sending a completed resume to Ashley Speed at Ashley.h.speed@nasa.gov in the Stennis Human Resources Office by 12 a.m. CST on March 6, 2009.

Have a great week!

Best,
Sarah

February 23, 2009

2009-02-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

Spring quarter registration has started. Please let me know if you have questions about classes or trouble registering. All of the curriculum changes in Astronomy have been updated, so let me know if something seems amiss.

Undergraduate Representative: Please vote for your astronomy undergraduate representative to the department. The candidates are:

James Bushong
Whitney Kropat
Rosalie McGurk
Jean McKeever

Each candidate has provided a short statement about themselves on the website. Vote here: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/sterrs/69504

Voting will end on Wed., Feb. 25 at 3pm.

Undergraduate Pacific Physics and Astronomy Conference: Saturday, March 14 at University of British Columbia. Maybe some of you are interested in carpooling and making a weekend out of it?

The conference is a free one-day event that attracts students from across
BC and the Pacific Northwest to share research and learn about research
opportunities - so it's an awesome experience for anyone interested in
presenting their research or seeing the research that other undergraduates
have done. Registration is online at
http://www.physics.ubc.ca/physsoc/uppac/

Colloquium: This week, Jane Rigby (Carnegie observatories) will give a talk on "Lensed Star-forming Galaxies and Obscured AGN". Colloquia are on Thursdays at 4pm in Phys/Astr 102. Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Astro lunch: Astro lunch is an informal talk on Tuesday at 12:30 in Phys/Astr B356A. This week, Nick Cowan (UW) will give a talk on "alien Maps of an Ocean-Bearing World". Please bring your lunch!

Page O'Announcements: Updated with lots of good info: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/.

Thanks,
Sarah

Undergrad Rep Voting

2009-02-18T08:25:00.001-08:00

Please vote for your astronomy undergraduate representative to the department. The candidates are:

James Bushong
Whitney Kropat
Rosalie McGurk
Jean McKeever

Each candidate has provided a short statement about themselves on the website. Vote here: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/sterrs/69504

Voting will end on Wed., Feb. 25 at 3pm.

Thanks,
Sarah

February 17, 2009

2009-02-17T16:59:00.001-08:00

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. There are a number of deadlines and events going on, please read below!

Undergrad Representative Elections: I will send out an email tomorrow with the link for electing your undergraduate representative. Stay tuned.

Building Permits/Safety/Security: This is a reminder that if you have building keys and are here after hours that you must have a building permit with you at all times. Permits are renewed on a quarterly basis and can be picked up from the front office. UW Police may be increasing patrols of our building due to some recent concerns and you will be asked to show your permit and identification. If you are in the building after hours and have a concern please contact the UW police (emergency 911; non emergency number 206-685-8973). Please note the official building hours:
M-F - 7am - 9 pm
Weekends and Holidays - Closed
The Library and Tower are open for library access ONLY Sunday 1-5pm

Undergraduate Research Symposium Deadline: This Friday is the deadline to submit your application for the undergraduate research symposium. Present your research on May 15 to the UW community! http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Jonathan Fay (Microsoft) will give a talk on "Exploring the multi-wavelength sky with WorldWide Telescope". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program: This a nine-weeks program of paid research. The current stipend is $4,000 for full time and $2,000 for part time. The program runs from June 22 to August 21. The application deadline is April 17. More details: http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html

STScI Space Summer Program: This is a ten week program, running from june to september, designed for motivated undergraduates with a strong interest in space astronomy. We aim to give them an opportunity to gain direct research experience by working on a project together with a STScI staff scientist, and to get some astronomical training. Our objective is to help creating the next generation of space astronomers.

For more information, check out our web site, at http://www.stsci.edu/institute/sd/students.

The application deadline is February 20.

Page O'Announcements: Updated often with lots of great campus events, research, jobs, scholarships etc! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you have any questions about spring quarter registration which takes place starting Friday and over the next few weeks.

Best,
Sarah

February 9, 2009

2009-02-09T14:33:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

Thanks to those that attended the meeting last week, it was a great turn out! I have attached notes from the meeting for those that were unable to make it.

Here are some things to keep in mind this week:

Undergraduate Representative Nominations: The department would like to have an undergraduate representative that attends faculty meetings and acts as a liaison to the faculty. We are now accepting nominations for this position until Feb. 12 at 5pm. https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/sterrs/69246.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Robert Gehrz (U of Minnesota) will give a talk on "The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)". Joins us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Undergraduate Research Symposium: This is an opportunity to share your research with campus! The symposium is on Friday, May 15 and you can share a poster or have a presentation. The deadline to apply is Feb. 20. http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html

Space Grant Summer Undergraduate Research Program: This a nine-weeks program of paid research. The current stipend is $4,000 for full time and $2,000 for part time. The program runs from June 22 to August 21. The application deadline is April 17. More details: http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html

Page O'Announcements: Filled with lots of campus events, research, scholarships and more. Don't forget to checkout the "Important Links" where you can see the time schedule, view the undergrad wiki and more! http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you have any questions about class schedules for next quarter.

Thanks,
Sarah

February 2, 2009

2009-02-02T15:43:00.001-08:00

Thanks to everyone that filled out the meeting survey. The winter quarter undergraduate meeting will be this Thursday at 3pm in Phys/Astr A216. Please join us to talk about courses, computer lab and many other topics. Snacks will be provided.

Some other things to consider this week:

WiSE Conference: The Women in Science and Engineering conference is Sat. Feb. 7 from 8:30am-5pm at the HUB. This conference is a great chance to see what women are doing in the sciences and meet some amazing women over lunch! Find out more here: http://www.engr.washington.edu/curr_students/studentprogs/wise.html/. Let me know if you are interested in going.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Liliya Williams (Univ of Minnesota) will be giving a talk on "A new statistical evidence for substructure in lensing galaxies?". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Planetarium Volunteering: Are you interested in volunteering to give outreach planetarium shows? There once was a list of people interested but no one knows what happened to it so I'm making a new one. It's best that you've taken Ana's 270 class (offered this spring), but if you haven't and are still interested, please email me: philrose@astro.washington.edu.

For those who don't know:
We give planetarium shows to school groups and other groups studying astronomy. We write our own shows (I'm starting to compile scripts for help). The level of the talks are never higher than astro 101/150 levels. Shows range from 30-50 minutes and take place Fridays from 10-2.

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Mark you calendars for May 15, 2009! The Undergraduate Research Symposium is your chance to show off your research. Sign up for a poster or a presentation. The deadline to apply is Feb. 20. There are also workshops available to help you design your poster and prepare your presentation. We have a great history of participation so let me know if you have any questions. For more information: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html.

Spring registration: There are a number of changes that need to be made to the spring quarter schedule and I will update everyone at the meeting. Please review the note section of the time schedule for classes at it will update you on time/location changes.

Have a great week and please let me know if you have any questions about class schedules for the spring!

Thanks,
Sarah

January 26, 2009

2009-01-26T15:47:00.001-08:00

You may have noticed that we are making some changes in the undergrad lab. The computers acquired by STF funds this last year are being moved into the old observing room (where the printer is) and some are going to be in B356F on the tables in the center of the room. These computers are intended for all who are doing research to use when the lab is being used by classes. Time on these computers should be limited so others can use them as well.

I'll send an email out tomorrow asking for your input on when to hold the undergraduate meeting.

There are lots of great opportunities for research and career information this week!

WiSE Conference: The Women in Science and Engineering conference is Sat. Feb. 7 from 8:30am-5pm at the HUB. This conference is a great chance to see what women are doing in the sciences and meet some amazing women over lunch! Find out more here: http://www.engr.washington.edu/curr_students/studentprogs/wise.html/.

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Mark you calendars for May 15, 2009! The Undergraduate Research Symposium is your chance to show off your research. Sign up for a poster or a presentation. The deadline to apply is Feb. 20. There are also workshops available to help you design your poster and prepare your presentation. We have a great history of participation so let me know if you have any questions. For more information: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html.

SURP: The Washington Space Grant Summer Undergraduate Research Program is now accepting applications. The application deadline is April 17. The current stipend is $4,000 for full time and $2,000 for part time. This is a nine-week program that runs from June 22 to August 21 here at UW. For more information visit: http://www.waspacegrant.org/u-gradsum.html.

Career Week: The UW Career Discovery Week is here! All week there are workshops and events going on to help you start your career. Check out the website to learn about all of the events: http://depts.washington.edu/careerwk/index.php.

Let me know if you have any questions about any of these opportunities or anything else!

Thanks,
Sarah

January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T17:21:00.001-08:00

This is Saturday the undergraduate career workshop! Come join us to hear about what people are doing with their Astronomy degrees. The workshop starts at 10am on Saturday in Phys/Astr C520. Lunch will be provided and we expect the event to end around 1pm. Please join us!

Astronomy research opportunity: Dr. Ivan King is looking for an undergraduate researcher for this quarter. Dr. King works on globular clusters. If you are interested please send him an email at king@astro.washignton.edu or stop by his office in Phys/Astr B372.

Colloquium: Thomas Puzia (Herzberg Institute) is here this Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102 to give a talk on "Near-Field Cosmology:
Unraveling Galaxy Formation using Globular Cluster Systems". Join us at 3:45p for coffee, tea and cookies in the foyer.

Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

Feel free to stop in if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Sarah

January 12, 2009

2009-01-12T16:26:00.001-08:00

We have a busy week with science writer, Dava Sobel on campus giving lots of different talks. We are also gearing up for our Astronomy career workshop on January 24. I strongly encourage you all to attend this career workshop specifically for astronomy undergrads.

Here is a list of events going on for your calendar:

Dava Sobel Visit:
January 13 (Tuesday) 6:30pm: Public lecture in Kane 130. Dava Sobel will give a talk on "Galileo and the International Year of Astronomy". Seating is first come, first served.

January 14 (Wednesday) 12:30: Astro lunch in Phys/Astr C520. Dava Sobel will give a more intimate talk to our department. Seating is fairly limited, so please arrive early.

January 14 (Wednesday) 2:30-4pm: Student meet and greet in Phys/Astr C341. Dava Sobel would like to be available to meet with undergrad and grad students during this time. You can ask questions about what life is like as a science writer or how she entered this career. Light refreshments will be served.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in Phys/Astr A102, Toby Burnett (UW Physics) will give a talk on "Gamma-ray Astronomy with the Fermi Large Area Telescope". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies.

Astronomy career workshop: January 24 from 10am-2pm in Phys/Astr C520. This is for you!! Guests will include Vince Santo Pietro from Shorecrest High School, Kristine Washburn from Everett Community College, and Rich Lenish from the Museum of Flight. The purpose of the workshop is to explore possibilities for employment if you have a Bachelors or Masters degree in Physics/Astronomy. Food will be provided!

Undergraduate Research Symposium: This spring event is open to all undergraduates doing research. You can give an oral presentation or present a poster on your research. The deadline to apply is February 20. You can learn more about the symposium here: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/symp/index.html. We have had a great history of astronomy undergraduates participating in the symposium. This is a great opportunity to practice your presentations for a research conference or to show off to your friends and family what you have been up to.

Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/ I posted some Astronomy specific REU opportunities today, so be sure to take a look.

Feel free to stop in any time.

Best,
Sarah

Dava Sobel Schedule of Events

2009-01-07T11:34:00.001-08:00

Next week, Dava Sobel will be on campus and will be having a variety of events that you can all attend! You can learn more about this science writer at http://www.davasobel.com/.

Below is a schedule of events. Note that for the Monday lunch you will need to RSVP to me by 5pm on Thursday.

January 12 (Monday) noon-1pm: Lunch at the UW Club. This is a free lunch with Dava Sobel and people from Astronomy and Earth and Space Sciences. There are approximately 5 seats available to the first people that respond. Please RSVP to me by 5pm on Thursday if you are interested.

January 13 (Tuesday) 6:30pm: Public lecture in Kane 130. Dava Sobel will give a talk on "Galileo and the International Year of Astronomy". Seating is first come, first served.

January 14 (Wednesday) 12:30: Astro lunch in Phys/Astr C520. Dava Sobel will give a more intimate talk to our department. Seating is fairly limited, so please arrive early.

January 14 (Wednesday) 2:30-4pm: Student meet and greet in Phys/Astr C341. Dava Sobel would like to be available to meet with undergrad and grad students during this time. You can ask questions about what life is like as a science writer or how she entered this career. Light refreshments will be served.
Let me know if you have any questions about these events. I hope you can attend!

Thanks,
Sarah

January 5, 2009

2009-01-05T16:39:00.001-08:00

Welcome back everyone and Happy New Year!

We have lots of things going on with the start of the new year. Please feel free to stop in anytime to ask questions. Have a great week!

Registration: The last day to change your winter quarter schedule without any fees is January 11.

Building Permits: Those of you with building keys should pick up a building permit from me in the front office. This is required to renew every quarter and gives you permission to be in the building after hours.

Colloquium: will start next week!

Dava Sobel Lecture: Many of you have heard that we have Dava Sobel on campus next week. Dava wrote the books Longitude and Galileo's Daughter. http://www.davasobel.com/. We will have several events planned, some which include undergraduates. More information will follow this week, but I wanted to give you a heads up about the large public lecture on Tues, Jan. 13 at 6:30pm in Kane 130.

REUs: Don't forget to consider applying to a summer research program. Check out the different programs listed here: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm

The following are a variety of opportunities that are available to you. I will also post these on the Page O'Announcements: http://pageoannouncements.blogspot.com/

NASA summer opportunities: 2009 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program in Astrobiology

The SETI Institute is pleased to announce that applications are now
open for the 2009 REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates)
program in Astrobiology. Undergraduate students in fields such as
astronomy, biology, geology, chemistry, and physics are invited to
apply to spend 10 weeks in the San Francisco Bay area working on a
scientific research project in the field of astrobiology. Students
receive a stipend, travel, and living expenses. Applications are due
by February 2, 2009.

For more information, visit http://www.seti.org/reu or contact
Cynthia Phillips, phillips@seti.org, 650-810-0230.

=================================

NASA Ames Academy for Space Exploration

The Academy is a summer research internship that focuses on
leadership, team building, and conducting applied research with NASA
scientists in science, information technology and engineering. The
program is a 10 week immersive summer internship for undergraduate
juniors, seniors and first year graduate students. The internship
includes a stipend from the State Space Grant Office up to $5000,
housing, food stipend, transportation and travel expenses.

An abstract of each project at NASA Ames Research Center is available
at http://academy.arc.nasa.gov/. Applications will be accepted
through January 26, 2009.

==========================================
Student Opportunities at NASA Centers

Many other opportunities and programs are available to students at
NASA Centers.

For more information, see:
http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/careers/student-opportunities-centers

NASA Must Internship Invitation: Portal to Opportunity

*The MUST Project is Accepting Applications NOW! *

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is sponsoring
the *Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology* (MUST) Project
and is now accepting applications for the 2009-2010 academic year. The
MUST Project offers support to undergraduate students majoring in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Program participants receive a scholarship, NASA internship, mentoring
and access to a wealth of professional development opportunities.

*Project offerings include:*

*A one-year competitive scholarship*

covering up to one-half of tuition and fees, not to exceed $10,000 per
academic year. the scholarship is renewable through the scholar's junior
year provided that all eligibility criteria are continually satisfied,
*A 10-week paid summer internship* at one of ten nationwide NASA
Centers. Scholars receive a $6,000 stipend plus transportation and
location allowance not to exceed $1,000,
*Support from MUST Professional and Academic Support System (PASS)*
providing scholars with an online student community and professional
development/leadership training, and
*Invaluable resources, insight, and experience to further STEM education
and career aspirations from the MUST Consortium,* which is comprised of
three member organizations: the Hispanic College Fund (HCF), the United
Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation (UNCFSP), and the
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

*
Eligibility requirements:*

* Must be a U.S. citizen from underserved and underrepresented
groups (i.e., women, minorities, and person with disabilities) in
STEM disciplines, including those residing in rural and
economically disadvantaged communities,

* Must reside in the United States or a U.S. Territory,

* Be a college freshman, sophomore or junior and hold a full-time
academic status at the an accredited college or university (in the
U.S. or U.S. territory) for the 2009-2010 academic year,

* Must earn and maintain a cumulative grade point averal of no less
than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted), and

* must be enrolled in STEM disciplines whose major are aligned with
NASA's core competencies (physical science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics degree).

*
*

*Deadline for Applications: February 2, 2009*

Visit www.uncfsp.org/must for more
information or to apply

You may also contact Ms. Porsche Parker at (650) 961-1101

Student Opportunities at NASA Centers:
Student Opportunities at Ames Research Center:

Ames Research Center (Mountain View, CA) is a leader in information technology research with a focus on supercomputing, networking and intelligent systems. Ames conducts the critical R&D and develops the enabling technologies that make NASA missions possible. Ames also is a leader in nanotechnology, fundamental space biology, biotechnology, aerospace and thermal protection systems, human factors and astrobiology research. Ames participates in several agency education programs such as NASA's Undergraduate Student Researcher's Program (USRP; http://www.epo.usra.edu/usrp), an undergraduate internship program for science, engineering and mathematics majors, and the Graduate Student Researcher's Program (GSRP; http://fellowships.hq.nasa.gov/gsrp) for graduate study leading to masters or doctoral degrees related to NASA research and development. Acting as a portal between minority institutions and the funding priorities of our nation, the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation's (UNCFSP; http://uncfsp.org/) division of Science and Technology offers internships and fellowships to faculty members undergraduate students and graduate students who have an interest in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.. Some of the UNCFSP opportunities at Ames include, NASA Science and Technology Institute Summer Scholars Project (NSTI-SSP), NSTI Summer Faculty Fellowship Project (SFF), and Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST). Ames specific student opportunities would include the Foothill-DeAnza Internship Program (FHDA; http://internships.fhda.edu/), a career development program for community college students, and the Education Associates Program (EAP; http://edassoc.arc.nasa.gov/), a program that is driven by actual research opportunities and needs at Ames. For information on the full list of Ames educational opportunities, please visit the Ames Education website at http://education.arc.nasa.gov/.

Glenn Research Center Hosts Broad Spectrum of NASA Higher Education Programs:

Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, Ohio) is designated as NASA lead Center for Aeropropulsion from subsonic to hypersonic speed. In this capacity it is Glenn's role to develop, verify, and transfer aeropropulsion technologies to U.S. industry. Glenn is, also, a designated Center of Excellence in Turbomachinery, to develop new and innovative turbomachinery technology to improve the reliability and performance, efficiency and affordability, capacity and environmental compatibility of future aeronautical and space propulsion systems. Other areas of expertise embody a broad array of technology developments for NASA Science missions, as well as, research and technology developments for aerospace power, aerospace communications, and space processes and experiments which include bioscience and technology. Finally, Glenn is engaged in technology development in advanced energy that embodies renewable wind, solar and coal energy. Some of several energy-related demonstration projects focus on testing, evaluation and advancement of wind turbines, fuel cells and photovoltaics. For Higher Education programs that link to the foregoing opportunities, please visit http://newbusiness.grc.nasa.gov/university-affairs/.

Goddard Space Flight Center Education Programs:

Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD) has set a goal of 50% minority participation among its highly competitive interns in its education programs. We seek help with summer intern programs. The main on-line application deadline for next summer is January 16, 2009. Our web based application (to the collection of programs) is at http://university.gsfc.nasa.gov/. It includes a list of over 100 project opportunities," for summer 2009, from which the applicant selects his or her favorites. The programs which cooperate in the process are described on the above cited web site. Students then apply for these projects. Hence, advisor support in recommending highly qualified students is most welcome. If you have questions, e-mail Janie.Nall@nasa.gov (301-286-0885) or Terri Patterson at Terri.J.Patterson@nasa.gov (301-286-4398). We very much appreciate your help by encouraging highly qualified students, especially minorities, to apply.

Student Opportunities at Johnson Space Center:

Johnson Space Center (Houston, TX) has a robust education program and participates in many Agency student programs. JSC's main areas of research emphasize current and future Human exploration including life sciences as well as vehicle systems development and other systems engineering activities. JSC leads or participates in several agency education programs, such as NASA's Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP http://www.epo.usra.edu/usrp) the undergraduate internship program for science, engineering and mathematics majors; The Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP http://fellowships.hq.nasa.gov/gsrp) for graduate study leading to masters or doctoral degrees in the fields of science, mathematics, and engineering related to NASA research and development; and the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program (http://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/) for undergraduate students to propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced gravity experiment of their choice. Additionally, JSC encourages proposals to the Steckler/Space Grant Opportunity found at the NSPIRES website at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ which will award Twenty $70,000 grants for research proposals concerning technology and development activities to enable space colonization or space settlement. For information on the full list of JSC educational opportunities, please visit the JSC Education website at http://education.jsc.nasa.gov/.

Student Opportunity: Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience:

Applications are being accepted for INSPIRE's online community from 9th to 12th grade students through December 31, 2008. The community provides NASA-related resources and educational activities, allows for students to interact with other students, ask questions and share knowledge. Once selected into the online community, students may compete for the unique grade appropriate summer experiences ranging from a 1 day VIP tour and workshops, a 2 week on-campus collegiate experience, and paid summer internships.
For additional information, visit our website at http://www.nasa.gov/education/INSPIRE.

Higher Education Student Opportunities at Marshall Space Flight Center:

>From advanced materials, avionics and optics research - to propulsion, robotics and systems engineering, Marshall proves it is more than a rocket center. Science areas emphasized are astrophysics, heliophysics/plasmas, Earth science (remote sensing and climate variability) and astrobiology. The Marshall Space Flight Center is a key contributor to significant NASA programs, continuing a legacy of accomplishment that includes the Saturn V rocket that launched America's astronauts to the moon; the propulsion system for the space shuttle; and the Hubble and Chandra Space Telescopes. As it has throughout its history, Marshall is again playing a critical role in maintaining America's preeminence in space. The new launch vehicles, the Ares I and the Ares V, are currently under development at Marshall. http://education.nasa.gov/edoffices/centeroffices/marshall/highered/

Exploration Systems Mission Directorate Space Grant Project:

NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) is offering opportunities related to Exploration in partnership with the National Space Grant Consortia. ESMD SG provides internships for full-time students, mentors for senior design projects and competitions for System Engineering and Research papers. For information on these programs visit our website at http://education.ksc.nasa.gov/esmdspacegrant/.

Thanks,
Sarah

--
Department of Astronomy
University of Washington
Physics/Astronomy C-319 Phone: 206-543-9590
Box 351580
Seattle, WA 98195

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December 2, 2008

2008-12-01T17:00:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. This is the last email for the quarter and we will resume on January 5 when winter quarter begins. Note that the office is open during the break so feel free to ask any questions or stop in to say hello.

Career Workshop: Not sure that you want to go straight to astronomy grad school or even go to grad school at all? Let's do some career exploration! Thank you to everyone that responded! We are pleased to offer this event which will be organized by Dr. Julie Lutz. We will ask for rsvps next quarter, but be sure to mark your calendars now.

What: A Saturday event Jan. 24 from 10 am to 2 pm (includes morning refreshments and lunch)
Where: C520 in Physics/Astronomy Building
Who: Astronomy majors plus speakers who are high school teachers, museum/science center staff, community college instructors, observatory support staff. Others? Your suggestions are welcome. Lots of informal discussion and advice.

Colloquium: This Thursday at 4pm in PAA A102, Robert Smith (Univ. of Calgary) will give a talk on "The Expanding Universe: Remaking Cosmology in the 1920s and 1930 and the Nature of Discovery". Join us at 3:45pm in the foyer for coffee, tea and cookies. This is the last one of the quarter!

Astro Lunch: Tuesday at 2:30pm in PAA A118, Tori Hoehler (NASA Ames Research Center) will give a talk on "Quantifying Habitability as Organism/Environment Energy Balance'.

Enjoy the winter break and we'll see you all on January 5.

Thanks,
Sarah