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Session 20 - Research Experiences for Undergraduates.
Oral session, Monday, June 10
Old Madison,
Research for undergraduates has long been an important part of the undergraduate curriculum at the eight colleges of the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium (KNAC): Colgate University, Haverford College, Middlebury College, Swarthmore College, Vassar College, Wellesley College, Wesleyan University, and Williams College. We formed the consortium in 1989 and made a proposal to the W. M. Keck Foundation for funds to improve our observational equipment and to provide more and broader research opportunities for our students. During the first two years, each college obtained a CCD camera, filter sets, and a workstation. Since the summer of 1990, the consortium has funded from twelve to fourteen consortium college undergraduates per year to work for the summer at one of the consortium institutions other their own institution. Each fall we have a student symposium where the students present their research to the faculty and students of the consortium. The proceedings of the symposium are published and distributed. Often students are also co-authors on publications. In addition, the Consortium provides funds for the students to travel to professional observatories and to professional meetings. Several new research collaborations have developed among our faculty and students including supernova photometry, parallax of asteroids, and wide-field imaging and mosaicking.
