• NASA
  • IPAC

AAS - 2025

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 2024 and 2025 NITARP teams are attending the 2025 January AAS meeting in National Harbor, MD. The 2024 class is presenting results and the 2025 class is starting up. We had alumni raise money to come back as well. We sent about 40 people to the AAS and had a grand time. Please see the press release on NITARP from the AAS, and the special online article about NITARP at the AAS. All of the posters we presented are here. (In addition to the iPoster sessions as listed here, the physical versions of the 2024 teams' posters were up at the IPAC booth all day Tuesday.)

2024 teams:

Alumni:


Quotes

  • I have developed a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the term "data-driven" teaching. For most teachers, "data-driven" refers to using assessment results to guide instructional decisions. Now, I view it as a means of actively integrating real-world data into the learning process itself.
  • I was blown away with the welcoming community of researchers that were a part of the NITARP and AAS community, and how open everyone was in educating others in a positive and humble way.
  • I've already introduced a new research project in my astronomy class using IRSA last spring, and I'm working on refining it for inclusion in the astronomy class I am currently teaching. After doing the Rubin "Coloring the Universe" activity, students get a tutorial on IRSA, and have to come up with their own questions that they would be able to possibly answer by generating images using IRSA.
  • [student:] I have gained good experience working through problems I feel completely unprepared for!
  • The students experienced a bit more of a shift in perspective, I think. They didn't all previously realize how much data analysis there is. It's not all just looking at (pictures of) the sky.

AAS - 2025