Chelen Johnson
This virtual team collects all independent research presented in 2017, and done by NITARP or Spitzer alumni with (or without) students outside of a formal NITARP team.
I knew nothing about the online archives before this experience. Now I am quite familiar with them, and I have even used them a few times for reasons unrelated to NITARP. I am certain I’ll continue to use this resource going forward.
Being able to be physically present at Caltech and the AAS expanded the impact of this program significantly. It was in these settings, in particular, where one could see how the scientific enterprise typically works and how ideas are often shared.
The surprising part of our research was the time we spent on communication, and the value of saying something out-loud has to understanding it.