AAS - 2026

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 2025 and 2026 NITARP teams are attending the 2026 January AAS meeting in Phoenix, AZ. The 2025 class is presenting results and the 2026 all-volunteer self-funded alumni class is starting up. We sent about 35 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 2025 teams' posters were up at the IPAC booth all day Tuesday.)

2025 teams:

220.01 Edwards et al., “Stellar Rotation Within the Beta Pictoris Moving Group Using TESS Lightcurves”
403.01 Molohon et al., “Student and Teachers as Scientists: The Impact of Authentic Astronomy Research Experiences”
403.05 Pfahler et al., “From NITARP Experience to Community Practice”
406.04 Cullen et al., “Using Spitzer Space Telescope data to catalog short-term variable AGN for determining the size of accretion disks”

Alumni

104.08 Sperling et al., "Evaluating Educational Outcomes of the HERA Secondary–Higher Education High-Altitude Ballooning Research Program Across Pilot Sites"
136.08 Cohen & Sperling, "METEOR: A Low-Cost, APRS-Based Flight Computer for High-Altitude Balloon Missions"
217.04 Schwarz et al., “Star Finders: Assembling a Multi-Wavelength Catalog of Young Stellar Objects in Serpens Main”
403.02 Kuper et al., “From young stars to active galaxies: Development of foundational lessons for authentic astronomy research”
403.04 Newland et al., “Photometric Catalog Integration in a Python Framework for Spectral Energy Distribution Construction and Young Stellar Object Classification” - possibly better formatted version here
403.06 Bechtel, “NITARP Influences Multiple Generations, Communities, and Careers”
403.07 Blackwell et al., “Stellar Life Cycles: Improved Methods of Education”

Quotes

[NITARP] positively changed the way I teach, see myself (as a researcher, mentor, and a teacher), and understand my students.
I have come to realize that data is the key to science. Scientists make claims and these claims have to be backed up by research. I want my students to be scientists and do the things that scientists actually do. This program has only strengthened these convictions.
The most important thing for anyone in charge of the investments we make so as to create a better future, is to know that NITARP is the most effective way to invest a dollar. I have had literally hundreds of professional development experiences at the local, regional and national level and none come even close to creating the rippling impact that NITARP produces in transforming the classroom experience of not just the teachers and students directly involved in the experience, but also every student that the teacher will ever have, ever colleague with whom they collaborate, and for the students involved every course, project and career decision that they ever make. NITARP is the best investment you will ever make.
I did not anticipate how much this experience would change me. This was an incredibly powerful experience and I am so blessed to have been a part of it.
The research itself was exciting and inspiring. I felt like I was given the chance to actually apply much of what I know about astronomy to actual things in the cosmos.

AAS - 2026

Quotes

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