Post on 17-Jan-2016
The Broader Impact of NRAOThe Broader Impact of NRAO
Goal: To increase appreciation for Radio Goal: To increase appreciation for Radio Astronomy, and the NRAO locally, regionally, Astronomy, and the NRAO locally, regionally, nationally.nationally.
•Scientific literacyScientific literacy•Encourage STEM CareersEncourage STEM Careers•Science is accessible, and funScience is accessible, and fun
Students WV Governor's School WV EPSCoR (2005-present) 60 students/year
Field Trips, Institutes free 3500 in 2008, 2400 used the 40 Foot
High School Mentorship free ~40 high school students
REU NSF 25 undergrads since 1991, many more!
PSC NSF 90 students in summer, 1800 total impact
Public Tour Program marketing funds WV Tourism ~48,000 in 2008
StarQuest Star Party Fees ~150/year (2004-present)
Society of Amateur Radio Ast. Space is Free ~60/year (1985-present)
Outreach Mountain Radio Astronomy show produced by NRAO ( 2004-2007) reaches 10,000 people, plus podcast
Quiet Skies NASA IDEAS grant 600+ students per year
NRAO Ambassadors-IBT SARA, NRAO (2006-present) 1400+/year
Cosmic Radio Show Corp. of Public Broadcasting ? offered nationally, NRAO website
GBT control room webcasts EG: Clay Center planetarium 400 kids/year
IYA 365 Days of Astronomy podcasts NRAO plus guests
Around the World in 80 webcast
NEW
pending.. Radio Skynet NSF (UNC led) MRI proposal public use of 20 meter telescope
Teacher ProgramsTeacher Programs
• Core experience: Scientific Research on the 40 Ft. telescope.
• Team research/NRAO scientist mentors
• Astronomy content
• Research talks
• In-depth tours
• Classroom application
• Proven to change teacher practices in the classroom.
Student ProgramsStudent Programs• Overnight (or longer) field trips• Extended tours• 2000 students have used the 40 Foot telescope over
the past 12 months.• Grade School to Grad School
West Virginia Governor’s SchoolWest Virginia Governor’s School
Goal: to encourage students’ interest in STEM careersbefore they enter high school.
60 rising freshman/year.
Public Public ProgramsPrograms
•Tour Program•Star Quest•SARA
… good to the last drop
Virginia…
… I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.
Brylcream…
…NRAO???
Public RelationsPublic Relations
Quiet SkiesQuiet Skies
Students will:
• Measure interference levels at schools and in communities;
• Reduce and transmit data to an NRAO data base;
• Debate how the spectrum should be allocated.
Goal: to promote student aware-Goal: to promote student aware-ness of radio astronomy and radio ness of radio astronomy and radio frequency interference through an frequency interference through an inquiry-based research project. inquiry-based research project.
Quiet Skies Detector
North America at Night
NRAO NavigatorsNRAO NavigatorsGoal: to train outreach volunteers to spread the word about radio astronomy and NRAO.
Navigator David Fields with youth group in Tennessee
November 2008:-- 44 Night Sky Network clubs and a record 102 participants, tuned into a training telecon.
• Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, though local station. (~$10,000 plus in-kind)
• 26 3-minute shows• Aired 2007/2008• Also available at www.nrao.edu• Accompanied by web content.
NEW!NEW!
• Pulsar Search Collaboratory– Proposal to be Submitted to NSF ITEST– To involve students in radio astronomy science and the search
for new pulsars.– “Distributed computing”– Ultimate goal to become a citizen science project
Partnership between WVU physics, computer science, and education departments, WV EPSCoR, WV Dept. of Ed. and NRAO.