Recent Efforts and Accomplishments

My teaching focus over the past few years has been to transform my astronomy lectures into bi-directional, interactive sessions. This has involved time-consuming transferring of notes to PowerPoint format, writing of on-line notes, development of “one-minute essays,” and evaluation of results and student learning. My second focus has been to return the100+ year-old telescope at the campus observatory to excellent operating condition and to use the observatory as a conduit for public astronomy education. This has involved working with the astronomy undergraduates (and other interested students) in their training not only of the use of the telescope but also in preparing effective and interesting public presentations on topics in astronomy. On average, 80-100 people visit the observatory and attend the talks every month.

Education

• PhD Physics, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada (1996)
• BS Physics, BS Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (1990)

Teaching

• Astronomy 101V Introduction to Astronomy (1996-Present)
• Astronomy 150U The Planets (1999-Present)
• Astronomy 497B Outreach Training (Fall Qtrs)
• On-line labs and activities: Extensive development and implementation of on-line and in-class labs and activities for the Astronomy Department Clearinghouse
• Summer Challenge for The Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars
  • Mars City Alpha co-instructor (Sum-2001)
  • "Feel Those "g's": Physics of Roller Coasters (develop and teach) (Sum-2002)
• Early Start, Astronomy 150 (2001-Present)
• Astronomy C101: on-line introductory astronomy course (develop and teach) (2002)
• Serve as a resource for lecture demonstrations and ideas for graduate students and professors

Outreach Activities

• Coordinated reopening of UW Campus Observatory with astronomy undergraduates. Current efforts involve on-going renovation, maintenance, program development, training, presentations, counseling, public liaison
• Co-developer of Planetarium Presentations for the Astronomy Department; planetarium presenter
• “Expanding Your Horizons” workshop leader for girls in science (Spr-2000, 2001)
• Pacific Science Center Camp-In Session Instructor (Women in Astronomy) (Spr-2000, 2001)

Employment

• U of W, Astronomy Department, Acting Instructor/Lecturer (1996-Present)
• Pierce College, Lakewood, WA, Adjunct Faculty in Astronomy (1997-1999)
• Pacific Science Center, Seattle, WA, Summer Camp Instructor in Astronomy (1997-1999)

Awards

• Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellow, 1995
• University of Victoria Fellow, 1990-1994

Educational Publications

• Palen, S. E. and Larson, A. "A Platform-Independent, Computer-Based Astronomy Curriculum", 112th Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, July, 2000.
• StarLab Planetarium Program for Pacific Science Center, 2000: Complete educational program for the portable planetarium, including pre- and post-classroom activities
• "Comets, Asteroids, and Meteorites": teacher's workshop for Summer, 1998, Science Celebration, Pacific Science Center, and part of the national traveling exhibit: Aliens: Worlds of Possibilities
• "Alien Worlds": summer camp curriculum 1998 in cooperation with the Children's Theater, Pacific Science Center "Rockin' Rollercoasters": summer camp curriculum, 1999, Seattle Center Academy and Pacific Science Center

Professional Publications
Invited Speaker IAU Colloquium No. 170, Victoria, BC, June 21-26, 1999: Low-Level Radial Velocity Variability in K-type Giant Stars

PhD Thesis:
A Study of High Quality, Near-Infrared Spectra of EightSpectral Type K Stars: Precise Radial Velocities, Chromospheric Emission, and Fundamental Stellar Parameters, 1996, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC

Journals:

• VandenBerg, D. A., Larson, A. M., and De Propris, R. 1998, ``The Luminosity Function of M30: Evidence for Rapidly Rotating Cores in the Cluster Giants?" PASP, 110, 98
• Larson, A. M. and Irwin, A. W., 1996, ``An Efficient Method for Dealing with Line Haze in Stellar Spectra,'' A&AS, 117, 189
• Robb, R. M., Ouellette, J., and Larson, A. 1995, ``Archival Hubble Space Telescope Observations of IC4182,'' JRASC, 89, 161
• Walker, G. A. H., Walker, A. R., Irwin, A. W., Larson, A. M., Yang, S. L. S., and Richardson, D., 1995, `` A Search for Jupiter-Mass Companions to Nearby Stars,'' Icarus, 116, 359
• Larson, A. M., Irwin, A. W., Yang, S. L. S., Goodenough, C., Walker, G. A. H., Walker, A. R., and Bohlender, D. A., 1993, ``A Low-Amplitude Periodicity in the Radial Velocity and Chromospheric Emission of Beta Geminorum,'' PASP, 105, 825
• Larson, A. M., Irwin, A. W., Yang, S. L. S., Goodenough, C., Walker, G. A. H., Walker, A. R., and Bohlender, D. A., 1993, ``A Ca II 8662 Index of Chromospheric Activity: The Case of 61 Cygni A,'' PASP, 105, 332
• Walker, G. A. H., Bohlender, D. A., Walker, A. R., Irwin, A. W., Yang, S. L. S., and Larson, A. M., 1992, ``Gamma Cephei: Rotation or Planetary Companion?'' ApJ, 396, L91

Conference Presentations (non-refereed)

• Larson, A. M., and Irwin, A. W., 1995, ``A Tabular Approach for Calculating Line Haze in Stellar Spectra'', in Proceedings of the Workshop on Laboratory and Astronomical High Resolution Spectra, (eds.) A. J. Sauval, R. J. Blomme, N. Grevasse (ASP Publications, San Francisco), p. 561
• Larson, A. M., VandenBerg, D. A., and DePropris, R. 1996, ``The Effect of Rotation on the Luminosity Functions of Globular Clusters,'' (poster), B.A.A.S., January, 1996
• Walker, G. A. H., Larson, A. M., Irwin, A. W., Yang, S. L. S., and Walker, A. R. 1996, ``Intriguing, Low-amplitude Periodicity in the Radial Velocities of delta Sagittarii,'' (poster), B.A.A.S., January, 1996