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Andrew W. Puckett Andrew W. Puckett http://facstaff.columbusstate.edu/puckett_andrew/ Contact Dept of Earth & Space Sciences Voice: (706) 507-8098 Information 4225 University Avenue Fax: (706) 569-2614 Columbus, GA 31907 [email protected] Education University of Chicago Astronomy & Astrophysics Ph.D. 2007 University of Chicago Astronomy & Astrophysics M.S. 2002 University of Chicago Physics M.S. 2001 Vanderbilt University Physics & Mathematics B.S. 1999 Professional Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia Experience Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy Aug. 2013 | Present Teaching undergraduate physics and astronomy courses at both introductory and ad- vanced levels. Courses serve student majors in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, but also fulfill core requirements. Teaching two astronomy courses at CSU's Coca-Cola Space Science Center, making ample use of the Omnisphere Planetarium and WestRock Observatory. Research interests include the discovery, tracking, and characterization of small bodies in our solar system through data-mining and obser- vation. Supervised five undergraduate students in astronomical research projects, re- sulting in part in the Minor Planet Center granting our new observatory code (W22). Actively collaborating with the Skynet Junior Scholars program to engage middle- and high-school aged youth in the study of the Universe using professional research tools, including an online telescope network with observatory sites on three continents. Theses Supervised: • Austin Caughey, 2016, Rapid Orbit Refinement of Potential Near-Earth Objects and Recovery of Nearly-Lost Asteroids. Senior Honors Thesis. Courses Taught through Fall 2016: • ASTR 1105: Descriptive Astronomy: The Solar System (2 sem.) • ASTR 1106: Descriptive Astronomy: Stars & Galaxies (1 sem.) • ASTR 3105: Physics, Chemistry, & Geology of the Solar System (2 sem.) • ASTR 3205: Observational Techniques for Astrophysics Lab (1 sem.) • ASTR 4899: Independent Study (1 sem.) • PHYS 1111: Introductory Physics 1 (4 sem.) • PHYS 1112: Introductory Physics 2 (3 sem.) • PHYS 1311: Introductory Physics 1 Lab (5 sem.) • PHYS 1312: Introductory Physics 2 Lab (4 sem.) • PHYS 2311: Principles of Physics 1 Lab (1 sem.) • PHYS 3100: Waves & Optics (2 sem.) • PHYS 3200: 20th Century Physics (2 sem.) • PHYS 4899: Independent Study (1 sem.) 1 University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska Director, Planetarium & Visualization Theater May 2010 { July 2013 Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy Directed operations of a 10-meter domed theater with 62 seats and 12+ million pixels. Taught one college astronomy course and supported 1-2 similar courses per semester; and provided one-time planetarium shows for college courses in both arts and sciences. Supervised or personally presented 175 shows per year, divided equally between evening public shows and daytime K-12 shows, including significant \live presentation" content. Oversaw annual budget of nearly $100,000 combined from show income and membership contributions. Cultivated donors, worked closely with advancement/development staff, and established a broad support base. Wrote grants to secure funding for upgrades. Term Instructor of Astronomy & Integrated Sciences Aug. 2009 { May 2010 Postdoctoral Researcher Sept. 2007 { Aug. 2009 Developed, tested astronomy curricula built upon authentic undergraduate research ex- periences. Lead developer of Killer Asteroid Project: Understanding Orbit Uncertainty and Assessing Impact Risk in the Classroom. Helped 275 students measure & submit 504 astrometric positions of 96 \lost asteroids" to the Minor Planet Center, resulting in scientific publications. Wrote Java code for multiple projects, including a plugin for image-processor ImageJ and a web-based simulator for asteroid orbits. Continued collaboration with Univ. of Washington astronomers, resulting in discovery of 44 new minor planets including 5 dwarf planet candidates, 2 of the 11 known Neptune trojans, and 2 of the 8 trans-Neptunian objects with aphelia beyond 900 AU. Course Instructor at UAA • Solar System Astronomy - Fall 2012, Spr. 2013 • Stars, Galaxies, & Cosmology - Fall 2011, Spr. 2012 • Solar System Astronomy Lab - Spr. 2009, Fall 2009, Spr. 2010 { The All-Asteroids Lab Course (Fall 2009, Spr. 2010) • Stars, Galaxies, & Cosmology Lab - Spr. 2010 { The All-Spectra Lab Course (Spr. 2010) • Concepts & Processes: Nat. Sci. Lab - Fall 2009, Spr. 2010 Guest Instructor at UAA • Solar System Astronomy Lab - Spr. 2008, Fall 2008 (3 labs each) • Stars, Galaxies, & Cosmology Lab - Spr. 2008, Spr. 2009 (3-4 labs each) • Concepts & Processes: Nat. Sci. Lab - Fall 2008, Spr. 2009 (9-10 labs each) University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois Ph.D. Candidate Sept. 2003 { Aug. 2007 Discovery & characterization of distant minor planets with the Sloan Digital Sky Sur- vey. Developed IDL code to locate known bodies and search for new ones in the SDSS archive. Performed follow-up observations with Apache Point Observatory's 3.5-meter telescope to confirm discoveries. Advisor: Richard Kron. 2 Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, Illinois NASA Planetary Science Research Fellow Jan. { Aug. 2007 Visible and near-infrared spectroscopy of main-belt asteroids to confirm basaltic surface composition, with targets selected from SDSS data. Continued a collaboration which had produced spectra for 58 objects since April 2005. University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois Microsoft eScience Research Fellow Oct. { Dec. 2006 Developed educational materials for a middle-school audience based on the 200,000+ asteroids found in the existing SDSS archive. Integrated the resulting curriculum and accompanying asteroid tools into the SDSS SkyServer website. Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, Illinois NSF Public Education Fellow Sept. 2003 { Sept. 2006 Coordinator & lead educator, 40th{42nd Astro-Science Workshops for Chicago-area high school students. Designed curricula including asteroid observing projects using the 0.6-m and 1.0-m telescopes at Yerkes Observatory. Demonstrated observational astronomy to the public using monthly remote access to Apache Point Observatory's 3.5-meter telescope. Grants Contractor, \Collaborative Research: Laboratory Exercises and Online Tools for Re- search Based Science Education in Astronomy", NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE), (Not Funded, 2015). Create and improve online versions of tools used in our authentic undergraduate research projects, including my \Killer Asteroids Project." Avoiding installation and compatibility issues will increase adoption of our curricula at other institutions. Principal Investigators are Travis Rector at University of Alaska Anchorage, and Nicole Vogt at New Mexico State University. Principal Investigator, \Seed Funding for the Production of the Definitive Aurora Bore- alis Planetarium Show", UAA Vice Provost's INNOVATE Awards: A Grants Program for Research and Entrepreneurship, $10,000 (2013). Purchase new camera model with resolution/sensitivity to obtain high-quality 12-megapixel footage of aurora at high speeds. Subcontract to photographer in Fairbanks, AK to obtain footage during solar maximum. Generate short "trailer" to demonstrate UAA's capabilities to NASA/NSF. Co-Principal Investigator, \Cyberconnectivity and Data Visualization", NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement and Cyber Connectivity (RII C2), $1,000,000 (2011{2013). Roughly 20% of the award for hardware upgrades for UAA's Planetarium & Visualization Theater, providing improved real-time immersive visualizations, e.g., \decision theater" events. Additional 20% for UAA campus core network upgrades which directly benefit a newly networked planetarium. 3 Service and 2016 { 2017 Faculty Senator, Columbus State University. Outreach 2016 Outstanding Mentorship Award, CSU Honors College. 2016 Search Committee Chair, Atmospheric Science faculty position. 2016 Volunteer, Coca-Cola Space Science Center's Astronomy Nights. 2016 Science Olympiad Event Supervisor, \Reach for the Stars." 2015 { 2016 Seminar Series Organizer, CSU Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences. 2012 Excellence in Service Award, UAA College of Arts & Sciences. 2011 { 2012 C.A.S. Representative, University Technology Council. 2011 Search Committee Chair, Planetarium/Lab Support I.S. Tech. 2010 Public Lecturer, Anchorage Museum's Jedi Nights series. 2009 { 2013 Public Lecturer, Campbell Creek Science Center, Anchorage. 2007 { 2010 Outreach Advisory Board, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. 2006 Graduate Rep., Univ. of Chicago Sexual Assault Policy Comm. 2003 & 2004 Guest Instructor, NASA's Saturday Academy for Space Science. Ph.D. Thesis A.W. Puckett, \A catalog of slow-moving objects extracted from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: Compilation and applications", Proquest Dissertations And Theses, 0330, 0606 (2007). Publications M. Solontoi, M. Hammergren, G. Gyuk, A.W. Puckett, \AVAST Survey 0.4-1.0 µm Spectroscopy of Igneous Asteroids in the Inner and Middle Main Belt', Icarus, 220, 577 (2012), [arXiv:1202.4424v2]. N.A. Kaib, A.C. Becker, R.L. Jones, A.W. Puckett, D. Bizyaev, B. Dilday, J.A. Frie- man, D.J. Oravetz, K. Pan, T. Quinn, D.P. Schneider, S. Watters, \2006 SQ372:A Likely Long-Period Comet from the Inner Oort Cloud", Astrophys. J., 695, 268 (2009). M. Hammergren, G. Gyuk, A.W. Puckett, \(21238) 1995 WV7: A New Basaltic As- teroid Outside the 3:1 Mean Motion Resonance", ArXiv eprint, [astro-ph/0609420]. Publications T.A. Rector, A.W. Puckett, M. Wooten, S.B. Howell, K. Coble, \The Use of an Authen- in Preparation tic
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