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AAS - 2020

The Winter American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting is the largest meeting of professional astronomers in the world. NITARP educators attend an AAS first to meet their team, then they go home and work remotely for much of the year, and then attend an AAS to present their results.  At any given AAS, then, we could have two NITARP classes attending - those finishing up, and those getting started. Reload to see a different set of quotes.

The 2019 and 2020 NITARP teams attended the 2020 January AAS meeting in Honolulu, HI. The 2019 class was presenting results and the 2020 class was starting up. We had alumni raise money to come back as well. We sent about 50 people to the AAS and had a grand time. Please see the special article on NITARP at the AAS. All of the posters we presented are here:

2019 Teams:

NITARP Management:

Returning Alumni Teams:


Quotes

  • [...] it is really hard to isolate one moment or cite one experience as the most interesting. In fact, what stands out to me is the cumulative experience. It is comparing my ignorance during the AAS Seattle meeting with my comprehension during the AAS Honolulu meeting. [...] I was a bit overwhelmed and a little unnerved about what I had gotten myself into. [...] during AAS Honolulu, I was amazed at how much more I was able to take in during the conference sessions. Not only that, but I was so pleased and proud and the performance of my students, [...] during the poster session for our science research. They were able to explain our project so coolly and completely. That they benefited so much from the experience is extremely gratifying to me as a teacher.
  • [student:] This experience made me realize how many jobs are under the umbrella of astronomy – how many different things you can do and learn under that umbrella. You could have any number of skills or interests and still be able to work in astronomy.
  • It so amazing how much can be learned about the cosmos around us from the color, location and intensity of light, gravity waves and neutrinos… the multimessenger universe is unfolding before our eyes. I am so jazzed to be given the opportunity to participate as a researcher in some small part of this great adventure.
  • [student: The most interesting thing I learned was] The amount of work that astronomers put into research in relation to the small amount of time that they present it.
  • [student:] I don't know for sure what I want to do as a career yet but I am hoping to major in physics or astronomy in college. When I went into the NITARP program I didn't know what I wanted to study but I really enjoyed this experience and I find our research very interesting and I am hoping to learn more about physics and astronomy in the future.

AAS - 2020