• NASA
  • IPAC

AAS - 2016

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 2015 and 2016 NITARP teams attended the 2016 January AAS meeting in Kissimmee, FL. The 2015 class was presenting results and the 2016 class was starting up. We had many 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, and a special article on NITARP alumni at the AAS. All of the posters we presented are here:

Quotes

  • [student:] I think the AAS meeting seems really fun and makes the idea of doing research as a job more exciting. I like how much networking astronomers get to do at these meetings, and it was great to get a chance to experience this while still in high school.
  • This experience has reinforced to me the importance of learning science by doing science. I have slowly been altering my curricula to provide students with more authentic research experience.
  • [Now,] I actively search for ways to give my students actual research experience and try to have it so they are working collaboratively with students outside their school. While this is not for all students[...] I offer to anyone who wants to take it on. Currently I have 3 different projects in the works. [...] I now seek out other teachers and opportunities outside of my own school (as well as within).
  • [student: Astronomy] is much more [about] teamwork [than I thought.]
  • While the direct impact [of NITARP] may be limited, in terms of numbers, the depth and complexity of what is learned by teachers and students in this program will make them leaders in their fields [..] A program like NITARP is essential in making a broader impact as teachers and students with such depth of understanding can better pass that experience on to their peers as ambassadors than any top-down professional development ever could.

Related Teams

AAS - 2016