• We are particularly interested in promising students who, often owing to a late start with physics, find themselves unprepared for admission to an astronomy PhD program. Students who desire additional background in astronomy to support a career in teaching or research support may also benefit from our program. We encourage applications from women and minorities as these populations are underrepresented in the physical sciences.
  • The research interests of the current faculty are: Dr. William Herbst?star formation, Dr. Ed Moran?extragalactic X-ray sources and X-ray background, Dr. Seth Redfield?exoplanets and the interstellar medium, Dr. Roy Kilgard?high-mass X-ray binary populations and statistical challenges in high energy astrophysics, and Dr. Meredith Hughes?planet formation.
  • The department is well equipped for instruction and research. Facilities include a network of macOS and linux workstations, a CCD attached to a 24-inch reflector, a 20-inch refractor equipped for observational work, and the substantial astronomical library of the Van Vleck Observatory. Members of our faculty are frequently awarded observing time on world-class telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and dozens of ground-based telescopes.