Graduate Opportunities at Fisk in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research (GO-FAAR)

Fisk University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

The Graduate Opportunities at Fisk in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research (GO-FAAR) program builds on a successful partnership between Fisk University and Vanderbilt University, the centerpiece of which is the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge program. The Bridge program is a graduate program in physics and astronomy that has, to date, attracted 29 underrepresented minority students, with a retention rate of 97%, positioning the program to become a leading producer of minority PhDs in astronomy and astrophysics in the United States. GO-FAAR will enable a stable foundation of support for the purposes of scaling up the Bridge program, institutionalizing a strong infrastructure for astronomy and astrophysics research at Fisk, solidifying research collaborations, and launching a parallel program for Fisk undergraduates. Faculty and students in the GO-FAAR Partnership will execute a broad, multi-faceted, multi-institution research plan, involving collaborative projects in astronomical instrumentation, computational astrophysics, and observational astronomy. The GO-FAAR Partnership includes Vanderbilt University, Boston University (BU), the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the National Solar Observatory (NSO), the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA), the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH), and the University of Cape Town (UCT). Overall, the program has a goal increasing by 75% the annual number of underrepresented minorities earning the PhD in astronomy and astrophysics in the United States, and sustaining this level in steady state. In addition GO-FAAR will support and mentor a cadre of undergraduates at Fisk who will (a) complete a sequence of courses leading to a new Minor in Astrophysics at Fisk University, and (b) participate in astronomy and astrophysics research through the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs at Fisk, Vanderbilt, BU, NOAO, and NSO. Finally, the successful Fisk-Vanderbilt Astronomy Roadshow outreach program will be adapted and expanded to bring the excitement of astronomy to underrepresented minority students in the Nashville public schools and to act as a program of leadership development for GO-FAAR participants.