2013
Kevin Gullikson Wins Graduate School Continuing Fellowship
May 2013
Kevin Gullikson
Kevin Gullikson has won a competitive, university-wide Graduate School Named Continuing Fellowship for 2013-2014. Entering his 4th year, Kevin is currently working with Prof. Sally Dodson-Robinson. She writes that Kevin's thesis will "provide the last word on whether star formation by disk instability is common or rare." Kevin developed a new observing technique that can also be extended to planet formation in solar-type systems. Kevin has been awarded four observing nights on the CTIO 1.5 m telescope through a nationally competitive NOAO proposal process, in addition to time on McDonald's 2.7 m telescope.
Hyunbae Park Wins Summer Fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Hyunbae Park
April 2013
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science has awarded Hyunbae Park (a 3rd year student working with Dr. Paul Shapiro) a fellowship for their 2013 summer program. This fellowship will provide an orientation into Japanese culture and research systems and an opportunity to pursue research under the guidance of Dr. Naoki Yoshida from the University of Tokyo.
Thomas Gomez Wins NSF Fellowship
April 2013
Thomas Gomez
Thomas Gomez has recently won a 2013 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Thomas is a second year graduate student working with Drs. Don Winget and Michael Montgomery. His selection was based on outstanding abilities and accomplishments, as well as potential to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the US science and engineering enterprise. The prestigious fellowship will provide full support for up to 3 years.
Michael Gully-Santiago Wins "Nano Night" Prize from the UT Center for Nano and Molecular Science
April 2013
Michael Gully-Santiago
Michael Gully-Santiago has won 3rd prize for Best Graduate Student Poster, "Silicon diffractive optics for astronomical infrared spectroscopy," at the UT Center for Nano and Molecular Science's annual "Nano Night" poster session. Michael is the first astronomy presenter to the event, which this year featured 46 researchers from 10 departments across the University. Michael's research in diffraction gratings, an optical device that disperses light into its component wavelengths, will enable a new instrument, to be installed this year, for the Harlan J. Smith 2.7 m telescope at McDonald Observatory. He has also developed technologies in construction of new instruments for some of the world's largest optical telescopes, the IRTF in Hawaii, and the GMT under construction in Chile, as well as an earth science satellite mapping changing CO2 abundance in the atmosphere. Michael works with Dan Jaffe, under a NASA Graduate Student Research fellowship through the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.