REU Site: Wyoming Astronomy

This award will support the continuation of the successful REU program in Astronomy at the University of Wyoming. This program will train eight undergraduate students per year through a 10-week research experience. Students will receive extensive training in observational astronomy. The program will offer 70 nights of observations using the University of Wyoming's 2.3-meter (91-inch) telescope, located on the summit of Jelm Mountain (9,656 ft), 25 miles southwest of Laramie, WY. During these observing runs, students will be trained in the use of optical and infrared detectors, telescope operations, Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) functionality, Linux, and data processing. Seminars for participants in this REU site will cover a range of topics, including preparing for graduate school or industry careers, scientific writing and communication, and developing coding skills in Python, as well as the analysis of large data sets. This program will involve undergraduates in forefront research, train students to prepare for their post-baccalaureate careers, and provide opportunities to engage in STEM outreach through the Astro Camp for rising 7th–8th graders. The Astronomy REU site at the University of Wyoming has a well-established track record of involving undergraduate students in refereed publications in scientific journals. This program will provide research opportunities to students with little to no prior experience, particularly freshmen and sophomores from liberal arts colleges and public institutions that are not research-intensive, including two-year colleges. Scientific projects include Wyoming Active Galactic Nuclei Reverberation Mapping, and High-Speed Imaging of TESS Exoplanet Candidates. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2548378 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Michael Brotherton | Institution: University of Wyoming, LARAMIE, WY | Award Amount: $365,468 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2548378 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2548378.html