SCH Students, Faculty, Alumni Present at Prestigious Astronomy Conference

SCH Students, Faculty, Alumni Present at Prestigious Astronomy Conference

Four SCH juniors, Aaron Jia, Leo Cohen, Reed Knoblock, and Judah Meyer, joined faculty members Alissa Sperling and Peter Randall at the prestigious American Astronomical Society (AAS) winter meeting last week. In addition, several former students—now mentors—returned to the conference as alumni, a testament to the strength of the SCH program. The various groups presented their research alongside over 3,600 professional astronomers and astronomy undergraduate and graduate students from around the globe, showcasing the latest advancements in space science and technology.

“We spent the week talking with experts in the field of astrophysics, going to talks on up-and-coming research, and presenting our own research that we have been working on this fall,” said Cohen, SCH student presenter. “This was a great experience for me; it allowed me to see real-world applications of what I want to do in the future.”

The SCH team delivered two presentations. Sperling and Randall presented an astronomy education research poster alongside their Drexel counterpart, Dr. Richard Cairncross, from their work together on the NASA-sponsored National Eclipse Balloon Project (NEBP). The joint Drexel-SCH NEBP team is now serving as a model for a continuing collaboration launching in February to “engage students in astrophysics research through particle physics experience on the ground and high-altitude balloons.” The AAS student presentation, “High-Altitude Ballooning for Muon Detection: Preliminary Testing for an International Research Collaboration,” included results from data collected on muon detector high-altitude balloon flights this past fall and testing of a detector in-flight stabilization system.

“Although the prospect of presenting within a respected, comprehensive astronomical organization populated with distinguished professors and researchers seemed daunting as a high schooler, my peers and I didn’t feel separate but integrated into that scientific community,” said Knoblock. 

SCH made a strong showing at the conference, not only with a contingent of young presenters but also with several alumni making waves in the world of space science: Kara Knezewski '19, a graduate student at the Air Force Institute of Technology, authored a press release highlighting her research team's innovative methods for predicting solar flares, which was subsequently featured in Newsweek; Devin Gibson '24 presented alongside Drexel student Kiana Ahmari on insect behavior during solar eclipses, further developing the research he initiated as an SCH student a year and a half prior; Jonathan Berkson '23 attended the conference with his astrophysics research group from Elon University.

Over the past several years, Sperling has guided a dozen student-scientists to the conference, where they consistently stand out as some of the youngest presenters.

"By guiding our students through authentic research experiences like this one, we empower them to become confident, impactful scientists,” says Sperling. “I am so proud of the trajectory of these students, and I’m completely convinced of the power of teaching science by having kids do real science. Now that we have several graduates who have been through the process, the graduates return to campus for a half day each winter break and help the current students prepare for the conference. Many of the alumni that returned this year were also hard at work preparing their presentations which added an extra level of excitement. Witnessing this cycle in which my former students— Kara, Devin, and Jonathan—return to SCH to teach current students how to navigate a professional conference and promote and defend their science in the real scientific world is a highlight of my year—this is why I teach science. We are building a community of scientists and engineers in this corner of the school."

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