Chelen Johnson
This virtual team collects all independent research presented in 2015, and done by NITARP or Spitzer alumni with (or without) students outside of a formal NITARP team.
I would advise the scientists to not be afraid of pushing the teachers and students outside their comfort zone. It’s ok if the teachers and students are struggling- we’ll catch up! Just go – make us work hard. It’s what we signed up for.
I’ve always thought that probably most astronomers were just normal people who had a passion for astronomy, and my experience confirmed that. I felt like many of the astronomers I talked to were able to have normal conversations as well as “wow” me with lots of data and analysis.
I've attended many NSTA conference that focus on science education, but this purely scientific conference was an amazing opportunity. I gained a true appreciation for both the quantity and quality of research and work being conducted in the field of and astrophysics. [...]It made me feel like I was part of a community of learners with the same, or at least related interests. [...]
