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AAS - 2017

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 2016 and 2017 NITARP teams attended the 2017 January AAS meeting in Dallas, TX. The 2016 class was presenting results and the 2017 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. All of the posters we presented are here:


Quotes

  • I was challenged to stay on top of my understanding and ask more questions than I’m used to asking. Usually things are pretty easy for me, but not this.
  • In a very short period of time, members of my research team became bonded, and I’m sure, a very close working unit.
  • [student:] This program gave me the confidence I needed to apply to schools for a major in astrophysics. I always doubted my mathematical capabilities, but I’ve realized that if I truly want to pursue research in astronomy I need to study astrophysics. It is my dream to work in public relations for observatories, universities, or NASA. I want to make science accessible and easy to understand for the general public, so I want to have a strong background in research and experience.
  • [..]one of the greatest joys of NITARP was the enthusiasm with which questions were encouraged, and the way you [..] answered them – always with respect, regardless of the level of the question; always taking time to fill in gaps, and always at the right depth (“as simple as possible but not simpler”). And so I asked a lot of questions and very much enjoyed the answers and discussions.
  • [student:] I did not anticipate the work dynamic between the teachers and students. I anticipated to simply be a participant in the research progress while the teachers would relay the “actual” work to the students. I was pleasantly surprised, and in fact elated, that I was just as vital to the project as my teachers. I felt truly valued, and I am eternally grateful for the level of respect that I received. Although it was not anticipated, the interactions between students and mentors was my favorite part of the program.

AAS - 2017