As one of the top-ranked astronomy programs in the nation, we are proud to provide our undergraduates with a research-centered education that transforms them into scientists and STEM leaders.
Our Undergraduate Astronomy program has nearly doubled in size in the last five years and with 129 astronomy majors we are one of the largest premier undergraduate programs in the nation. But our current Undergraduate research computer lab has only 18 seats and cannot support our current classes, let alone to support the growth in undergraduate research that is a huge goal university-wide.
We need your help to double the size our undergraduate research computer lab!
We have worked hard to secure most of the funds for this $270,000 renovation and hope that you can help us to close the gap. We need to raise just $29,900 more and we have been told that the Dean of the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) will match all gifts that are donated to this project. This is tremendous support from the CNS for our program and a wonderful opportunity for you to have an enduring impact on the Astronomy program for years to come.
Your gift to this campaign will be doubled by the generous match offered by our Dean. Please consider a gift of $100 or more to help us expand the lab.
“The expansion (doubling) of our Undergraduate research computer lab is essential for engaging our undergraduates in cutting-edge research. It will provide not only the required computers and software, but also the space for fostering peer interaction and supportive communities, which increase STEM retention and graduation rates.”
- Shardha, Jogee, Professor and Department Chair
“[The undergraduate astronomy lab expansion] would be a great asset to our undergraduate researchers; the space and the computers are the most pressing need for our growing group of undergraduates involved in research. Their research has the highest impact on their future in the field, particularly in admission to graduate schools. This is no small part of the reputation of our Astronomy Program for preparation of undergraduates.”
- Don Winget, Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor in Astronomy
“I think this is a great plan! As an Astronomy undergraduate, I know firsthand how crowded the UG computer lab can get. For many of us, it is the only computer lab on campus equipped with the software we need to do astronomy research. The expanded UG computer lab would also benefit the white dwarf FRI stream, as well as any future astronomy FRI streams, and would allow for larger research methods classes. Having more space and more computers is necessary to accommodate the growing number of astronomy undergraduates who are becoming involved in research.”
- Richard Seifert, Astronomy Undergraduate (Senior)
“We constantly use the computer lab to collaborate on projects, homework, and research. For some of us those computers are our only resource for tools like DS9 and IRAF, and for those who don't have Macs or virtual machines even python. We rely on those computers, and there are too many of us to fit in the lab at one time, so an expansion is truly necessary.”
- Emily Strickland, Astronomy Honors Program (Junior)
“I've been an undergraduate in the department for nearly four years and have probably spent most of my time working in the computer lab, along with many undergrads. The lab is a necessity for us, and with the increasing number of undergrads involved in research, it has become incredibly crowded.
Increasing the size of the computer lab would greatly benefit undergrads, giving us more space to work and making the computer lab feel much less crowded than it currently is.”
- Melissa Morris, Physics Major (Senior), Astronomy Assistant FRI
