-
Professor, Physics And Astronomy
Professional Service
- NSF.
Role: Panalist.
Proposal review .
03/2022 - 03/2022
- NSF.
Role: Panel Reviewer. Proposal assessment.
04/2020 - 05/2020
- NASA.
Role: Reviewer.
Proposal assessment.
07/2019 - 08/2019
- NASA.
Role: Proposal reviewer.
NPP proposal assessment.
11/2015 - 12/2015
- FWF/Austria.
Role: Reviewer.
Proposal assessment.
10/2015 - 10/2015
- NASA.
Role: External reviewer.
NASA proposal review.
09/2015 - 10/2015
- NASA.
Role: Proposal reviewer.
NPP proposal assessment.
09/2015 - 10/2015
- CSCS.
Role: Proposal reviewer.
Supercomputing project assessment.
11/2014 - 12/2014
- NASA.
Role: Proposal reviewer.
NPP proposal assessment.
11/2014 - 11/2014
- Swiss National Supercomputing Centre.
Role: Reviewer.
Provide technical and scientific evaluation of supercomputer allocation proposals.
10/2014 - 11/2014
- DFG, German Research Foundation.
Role: Reviewer.
Proposal assessment, planet formation.
10/2014 - 10/2014
- NASA.
Role: Proposal reviewer.
Astrophysics.
07/2014 - 07/2014
- NSF.
Role: Review panelist.
Astronomical sciences.
02/2014 - 02/2014
- NASA.
Role: Proposal reviewer.
Exobiology Program.
10/2013 - 10/2013
- NASA.
Role: Proposal reviewer.
Origins of the Solar System.
07/2013 - 08/2013
- DFG, German Research Foundation.
Role: Reviewer.
Proposal assessment, planet formation.
07/2013 - 07/2013
- NASA.
Role: Reviewer.
NPP proposal assessment.
11/2012 - 12/2012
- SnowPAC 2013 Scientific Organizing Committee.
Role: Co-Organizer (with Anil Seth).
Helped organize the 2013 SnowPAC conference on "Black Hole Fingerprints.".
10/2012 - 03/2013
- DFG, German Research Foundation.
Role: Reviewer.
Proposal assessment, dynamics of Saturn's propeller moonlets.
07/2012 - 08/2012
- NASA.
Role: Reviewer.
Origins Program proposal assessment: planet formation.
07/2012 - 08/2012
- DFG, German Research Foundation.
Role: Reviewer.
Proposal assessment, debris disk interpretation.
01/2012 - 02/2012
- NASA.
Role: Reviewer.
Origin of Solar System program proposal assessment.
08/2011 - 08/2011
- DFG, German Research Foundation.
Role: reviewer.
Proposal assessment for research in Planet Formation.
06/2011 - 06/2011
- NSF.
Role: Reviewer.
Review Panel for proposals to the AST Planet Formation and circumstellar disks program.
04/2011 - 04/2011
- NASA.
Role: Reviewer.
Post-doctoral review, Planet formation, black hole physics.
12/2010 - 12/2010
- Misc. Journals (Astrophys. J., Astron. J., Icarus, MNRAS, Nature, PRL).
Role: ad hoc referee.
refereeing journal articles.
01/2010 - present
- Misc. Journals.
Role: Referee.
Reviewer (Astron. J., Astrophys. J, Icarus, MNRAS, Nature, Phys. Rev. D, Space Sci. Rev.; approx 6 assignments per year).
01/1998 - present
Internal Service
- Astronomy Search Committee.
09/2020 - 03/2021.
Department service.
- Adnimistrative/miscellaneous.
Associate Chair,
07/01/2019 - present.
Department service.
- Executive Committee.
member,
03/2019 - 06/2023.
Department service.
- Administrative/miscellaneous.
Chair,
07/01/2016 - 03/13/2018.
University service.
- Administrative/miscellaneous.
Associate Chair,
08/16/2015 - 06/30/2016.
Department service.
- Fletcher Building Steering Committee.
01/04/2013 - 06/30/2014.
University service.
- Space Committee.
Chair,
07/01/2012 - present.
Department service.
- State Physics Major Articulation Meeting.
Representative,
09/2011 - 09/2011.
Department service.
- Policy Board.
member,
08/2011 - 06/2014.
Department service.
- Graduate Council.
council member,
08/2011 - 06/2013.
University service.
- Graduation Admissions Committee.
committee member,
08/2011 - 06/2013.
University service.
- Graduate recruitment committee.
Organize graduate symposium,
08/2011 - 07/2012.
Department service.
- Astronomy Task Force.
committee member,
08/2010 - present.
Department service.
- Director of Graduate Studies.
Oversee Physics and Astronomy graduation program ,
08/2010 - 06/2012.
Department service.
- Graduate Advising Committee.
chair,
08/2010 - 06/2012.
Department service.
- Astronomy Search Committee.
Chair. Search resulting in two new hires,
08/2010 - 06/2011.
College service.
- M. S. Comput. Eng. & Sci. (MS-CES) Executive Committee.
10/2001 - present.
University service.
Community Partnership
- Commencement Speaker, American Indian Services Pre-freshman Engineering Program, Blanding Utah.
06/2018 - 06/2018
- Pluto Palooza Party celebrating the New Horizon flyby; Speaker, .
07/2015 - 07/2015
- Presentation to the Salt Lake Astronomical Society.
11/2011 - 11/2011
- Presentations to Granite School District classes (grades 7-9).
09/2009 - present
Outreach
- INSPIRE presentation to high schoolers on coding in Python .
05/2021 - 05/2021
- Salt Lake Astronomical Society talk on black holes.
02/2020 - 02/2020
- "The search for planets: hot Jupiters, water worlds and Planet X". invited talk to the Salt Lake Astronomical Society.
02/17/2016 - 02/17/2016
- "Space Exploration" (presentation). Invited speaker at NHMU/Utah Film Society screening about the Apollo program.
02/09/2016 - 02/09/2016
- SLVSEF (Science and Engineering Fair) judge.
03/2014 - 03/2014
- Natural History Museum of Utah, Scientist on site, Wave at Saturn Event.
07/19/2013 - 07/19/2013
- Natural History Museum of Utah, Scientist in the Spotlight.
08/17/2012 - 08/17/2012
- Bryant Middle School, Career day speaker.
05/24/2012 - 05/24/2012
- SLVSEF Science Fair Judge.
03/2011 - 03/2011
Honors & Awards
- Best undergrad seminar.
Physics & Astronomy,
05/2014
- Best undergrad seminar.
Physics & Astronomy,
12/2010
- University Professor.
University of Utah,
05/2005
Affiliations
-
NASA Center for Climate Simulation
(NASA NCCS),
research scientist,
08/2011 - present
In the Media
- "Dust as a solar shield" covered by over 200 news outlets, include the Washington Post, The Guardian, and Der Spiegel. 02/2023.
https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.13...
- "Just Passing By: What to expect from the Asteroid Apophis". KSL. 03/2021.
https://www.ksl.com/article/50110925/just-passing-...
- "How did Pluto's moons form?" Sky and Telescope. 08/2020.
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/how-did...
- "Pluto's tiny moons may have been chipped off its biggest moon," New Scientist. 06/2020.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2247414-pluto...
- "Super Blood Wolf Moon", Utah Public Radio. 01/2019.
https://www.upr.org/post/rare-super-blood-wolf-moo...
- "New theory suggests Pluto may be a giant comet", NBCNews. 06/2018.
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/pluto-s-life-...
- "Mars is so small because Jupiter shook up its formation," in New Scientist. 04/2017.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2127273-mars-...
- "The most likely theories about where ‘Planet Nine’ came from are still pretty crazy", in The Washington Post. 05/2016.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-sc...
- "On the hunt for Planet Nine," in the Boston Globe. 05/2016.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2016/05/14/hunt-...
- In "The Search for Planet X", Scientific American (cover article). 02/2016.
- "Evidence for ninth planet", Salt Lake Tribune. 01/2016.
http://www.sltrib.com/home/3441390-155/utah-astron...
- "A ninth planet?", KGMB-HON (CBS) - Honolulu, HI. 01/2016.
http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=249...
- "Water on Mars", interview on The Matt Townsend Show, BYUradio/XM. 11/2015.
http://www.byuradio.org/show/301e673e-cc38-46cf-b5...
- "Water flows on Mars!". Fox-13 News live interview. 09/2015.
http://fox13now.com/2015/09/28/water-on-mars-tanta...
- "Pluto", interview on the Matt Townsend Show, BYUradio/XM. 08/2015.
http://www.byuradio.org/episode/9d519ee7-d9ce-494d...
- "'Tatooines' may be common", Nature Research Highlight (Nature, 523, 9). 07/2015.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v523/n7558/fu...
- "What Pluto Can Teach Scientists About 'Star Wars' Planet Tatooine", Space.com. 07/2015.
http://www.space.com/29899-pluto-binary-planet-sta...
- KUER News interview on Pluto & New Horizons. 07/2015.
http://kuer.org/post/spacecraft-explores-dwarf-pla...
- KUTV Channel 2 News interview on Pluto & New Horizons. 07/2015.
- Interview on "Cool Science" KPCW. 04/2015.
- "Rocky 'Tatooine' Planets with 2 Suns May Be Common", Space.com. 03/2015.
http://www.space.com/28976-rocky-tatooine-planets-...
- "Real-Life 'Tatooine' Planets With Two Suns May Be More Common Than Previously Thought", Huffington Post. 03/2015.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/31/tatooine-...
- "Planeta, como el de Starwars, podría ser real", El Pais. 03/2015.
http://www.elpais.com.uy/vida-actual/planeta-star-...
- "Scientists believe ‘Star Wars’ two-sun planets can exist", New York Daily News. 03/2015.
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/scientists-s...
- "Star Wars' two-sun planet DOES exist in our universe, scientists claim", Daily Express. 03/2015.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/567295/Star-W...
- "Star Wars planets like Tatooine could be common in universe" Daily Telegraph. 03/2015.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/space/1150...
- "Planets with two suns may be common, say scientists", Euronews. 03/2015.
http://www.euronews.com/2015/03/31/planets-with-tw...
- "Ученые: "татуины"-земли могут часто встречаться в нашей Галактике",
RIA Novosti. 03/2015.
http://ria.ru/science/20150330/1055367403.html
- Newswise media alert: "Earthlike 'Star Wars' Tatooines may be common". 03/2015.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/earthlike-star-wa...
- "Earth-like planets with two suns may exist", Delhi Daily News. 03/2015.
http://www.delhidailynews.com/news/Earth-like-plan...
- "Puestas de sol como las de Tatooine de 'Star Wars' pueden ser comunes", El Periodico. 03/2015.
http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/ciencia/pue...
- "U. study says planets with two suns are a reality — not just in ‘Star Wars’", Salt Lake Tribune. 03/2015.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/2347224-155/university-...
- Eureka News alert: "Nearest bright 'hypervelocity star' found" (provided artwork and comments in support of U Professor Zheng Zheng's discovery of a *very* fast moving star). 05/2014.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/uou...
- "The hunt for other 'Earths' Pete Spotts, Christian Science Monitor. 11/16/2013.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1116/The-hun...
- KSL-TV interview, NASA's Wave at Saturn event. 07/19/2013.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=26076485
- "Astronomen: Pluto könnte 10 weitere Monde haben" in Krone.at. 03/27/2013.
http://www.krone.at/Wissen/Astronomen_Pluto_koennt...
- "Answer to mystery of Pluto's moons could depend on 2015 flyby," Christian Science Monitor. 03/25/2013.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0325/Answer-...
- Yahoo! News article on Pluto's possible small moons. 03/22/2013.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/geekquinox/pluto-ma...
- Smithsonian Magazine [also, space.com...]. 03/13/2013.
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/03/...
- "Transit of Venus and the hunt for planets around other stars," KUER public radio interview. 06/04/2012.
http://www.kuer.org/term/planets
- "Growing supermassive black holes," Interview on German Public Radio. 05/30/2012.
http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/forschak/177017...
- "Transit of Venus: See it now or wait 'til 2117!" UofU Press release. 05/30/2012.
http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/transit-of-ven...
- "Black holes devour stars to get so supermassive," MSNBC. 04/06/2012.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46977409/ns/technology...
- "Black Holes May Get Supermassive by Eating Stars," Space.com. 04/06/2012.
http://www.space.com/15181-supermassive-black-hole...
- "Supermassive space snacks," Irish Times. 04/05/2012.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sciencetoday/2...
- "How black holes grow bigger," The Hindu. 04/05/2012.
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/article3281304.ec...
- "Monster Black Holes Gobble Binary Stars to Grow?" National Geographic. 04/04/2012.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/04/12...
- "Coupled stars seen as chief diet for hungry black holes," World Science. 04/04/2012.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/120404_blac...
- "Utah astrophysicist helps determine how black holes grow," Salt Lake Tribune. 04/03/2012.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53838608-78/blac...
- "How black holes grow," Astronomy Magazine. 04/03/2012.
http://www.astronomy.com/~/link.aspx?_id=15157d90-...
- "Supermassive Black holes eat stars to grow bigger," FIrstPost. 04/02/2012.
http://www.firstpost.com/tech/supermassive-black-h...
- Interview on growing supermassive black holes, KUER. 04/02/2012.
- "Black holes make meals of binary stars," UPI. 04/02/2012.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2012/04/02/Black-h...
- "How are planets born?" Christian Science Monitor. 10/19/2011.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/1019/How-are...
- "Peer pressure keeps young planets growing," IOP/Physics World. 06/16/2011.
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/46291
- "The solar system gets crazier," USA Today. 12/19/2005.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2005-12...
- "Out of this Solar System," New York Times Week in Review. 12/05/2004.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/weekinreview/05b...
- "Sun Might Have Exchanged Hangers-On With Rival Star," New York Times. 12/02/2004.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/02/science/02solar....
- "Look for dust to find new Earths," Universe Today. 02/20/2004.
http://www.universetoday.com/9320/look-for-dust-to...