Chelen Johnson
The Dust Mights team will be searching for Galactic sources in the Spitzer Enhanced Imaging Products catalog which have an excess amount of infrared light and whose distances are known from Gaia observations.
I have a much better sense of what research astronomy is about now, and I think I will have more confidence to try new things (related to astronomy) going forward.
This experience has forced me to look at something new and has inspired me to enrich and improve my classes.
Because of NITARP my teaching has grown for the better. The entire project really made me appreciate and re-evaluate the scientific process. I was amazed by the support and well organized lines of communication, and found a new level of respect for Google Sheets.The number of connections I have made with other astronomy and physics teachers has really helped me find new and interesting ways to make physics more relevant to students.