Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

I am interested in all aspects of the dynamics of objects in the solar system - from dust to planets. Because of my membership of the Cassini Imaging Team, my recent research has focussed on the dynamics of Saturn's rings and small satellites but I am also interested in non-linear dynamics, the theory of resonance, satellite astrometry and the application of computer algebra to celestial mechanics.

Services, Roles, and Activities

• DPS 2004 Meeting at Louisville, KY: Member of the SOC
• DPS 2005 Meeting at University of Cambridge, UK: Chair of SOC and member of the LOC
• DDA 2017 Meeting at Queen Mary University of London, UK: Member of LOC
• Associate/Consulting Editor of Icarus (1991-2010)

Professional Experience and Positions

• Member of the RAS Education Committee, 1993-1995
• Member of the assessment panel for the UK's PPARC Small Awards and National Awards in the Public Understanding of Science, 1998-2006
• Member of the Mars Task Group of the IAU Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature, since 2004
• Associate Editor of Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, 1998-2004
• Member of the Planetary Studies Sub-Panel of UK's STFC Astronomy Grants Panel, 2008-2011; Chair, 2010-2011
• Science Editor for Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, since 2014

Candidate Statement

My first ever presentation as a young postdoc was at the 1980 DDA meeting hosted by the University of Maryland. I will never forget the welcoming atmosphere and support shown to early career astronomers by the DDA. Ever since then I have always encouraged my graduate students to attend DDA meetings because they provide a wonderful opportunity to present new results and engage with a small, friendly, supportive audience. It is also encouraging to see new generations of dynamicists joining our community over the years and bringing fresh ideas to a subject so steeped in history. The fact that we are also forging new links with astronomers in other fields (e.g. exoplanet research) shows our willingness to apply our skills to a whole new set of dynamical problems. My goal as Vice-Chair will be to use my experience and skills to ensure that the voices and concerns of all members of our community are heard within the AAS and beyond.

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Evolution and Dynamics of Galaxies
• Colliding Galaxies

Services, Roles, and Activities

• Heineman Prize Comm., 2013-2015
• DDA, Chair, Ad Hoc Comm. for Bylaws Revision, 2016

Professional Experience and Positions

• Asst. Chair, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, 2009 - 2015
• Executive Comm. member, ISU Chapter, Sigma Xi (2013-present), Chapter President, 2015
• Various agency review panels, including: NASA ADP, HST GO, Astrophysics Theory, and NSF Extragalactic Astronomy, NSF Career, AAAS seminar proposals

Candidate Statement

The DDA is a unique part of the AAS, bringing together a wide range of science topics under the rubric of dynamics. Its meetings are also unique, and have a strong impact on participants, both younger and older. Because of their relatively modest size, the meetings have the feel of intimate workshops. Yet, they are one of the few forums where asteroid specialists can readily interact with galaxy evolution or black hole experts. When I first discovered the DDA I thought it should be named the Astronomy Theory Division. I later realized that that description is not broad enough, and only 'dynamics' can encompass its full range. I feel strongly that one of primary goals of its officers should be to retain its 'dynamic' range and wonderful traditions.

On the other hand, the dynamics division cannot remain static. This organization has been evolving. There have been changes in bylaws, meeting formats and prizes. The new Rubin prize and the increasing numbers of Duncombe prizes are a highlight. I am also a fan of the relatively new topical sessions as a way of focusing on exciting new topics and bringing in new participants. I was on the committee to update the bylaws, and was proud that some of our changes were reportedly helpful to other divisions. We need to continue to innovate and broaden our appeal to AAS members; almost everybody in astronomy has some connection to dynamics! Doing this while maintaining our best traditions is a challenge I would be honored to help achieve.

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Planetary Rings
• Asteroid dynamics
• Geophysics

Services, Roles, and Activities

Professional Experience and Positions

• Local organizing committee chair for 2014 DPS meeting
• Local organizing committee for 2015, 2016, 2017 DPS meetings

Candidate Statement

I am honored to be considered for the position of DDA treasurer. Having served on DDA and DPS committees, as well as on several LOCs, including as chair, I am familiar with the procedures of the committees. Although this would be my first term as a treasurer, I am broadly familiar with the finances of the divisions based on the above experience.

As a voting officer, my primary areas of concern would be growth management and diversity.

Growth management: I feel the DDA's membership is healthy and I see no reason to artificially enlarge our division just for the sake of growth. At present, we hold an economical single-session meeting that is easy to fit in a moderate-sized lecture hall at most universities. Therefore, I believe that the best way to manage our membership is by simply encouraging participation from students and young scientists, with the expectation that those who choose to join us will be those most interested in being a part of our small division. Hopefully that will offset attrition among our more distinguished members and result in a natural equilibrium.

Diversity: An important caveat to the above philosophy regarding growth management is that we must endeavor to be aware of factors that may skew participation away from women and minorities; a diverse membership will encourage participation from diverse groups. This was an important issue when I served as a committee member, and I believe we were moving in the right direction.

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Planet formation
• Chondrule formation
• Planetary dynamics
• Gas dynamics
• Disc observations

Services, Roles, and Activities

Professional Experience and Positions

• Director on the Board of Directors for the H. R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver, 2016-present
• Department undergraduate mentorship program developer, 2017-ongoing
• Physics Olympics committee member 2016-2017, co-chair 2018 (day-long physics competition involving 70 high schools across BC)
• Lead organizer for Chondrules as Astrophysical Objects, workshop/meeting in Vancouver, 2017
• Local organizing committee member for From Stars to Galaxies and From Stars to Life, UFlorida 2010 and 2013
• On multiple additional committees for the university (UBC) and the department, details withheld

Candidate Statement

I thank the Nominating Committee for their nomination to serve as the DDA treasurer. I am running for this position because it is my opinion that our research, academic, and outreach organizations and activities rely on service from the membership to promote a healthy research environment, to disseminate research widely, and to engage the public. Like many of you, I manage my research grants through interactions with the department, university, and funding agencies. I have led and contributed to organizing conferences, and currently participate in funding decisions as a director on the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Space Centre (H. R. MacMillan). In promoting professional development, I have been working with my department head to establish an undergraduate mentorship program, which would take a proactive approach to meeting with and listening to students in our department throughout their time at UBC. I also advocate accommodating family life in academia. This has included promoting changes in my department, such as simply adding changing tables to the men's and women's washrooms during a recent renovation (successful -- a gender-neutral option was not available) and establishing a multi-use family room in the department for students and faculty (ongoing, may or may not work). In my Chondrules as Astrophysical Objects workshop, I set up a family room (next to the main meeting room) with a live feed of the talks and with chat windows for asking questions. While I am not running with the mindset to make large changes to the division, I would ensure that we are continuously looking at how we engage students and accommodate work-life issues. I invite you to write me should you have any questions.

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Planetary system formation & evolution
• Exoplanets
• Debris disks
• Protoplanetary disks
• Orbital dynamics
• Planet-disk interactions
• Influence of orbit environment on planetary surfaces
• Data sciences
• Science education
• Computational astrophysics

Services, Roles, and Activities

• Organizing Committee Member for the Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science IV conference, 2017-2018
• University of Arizona Lunar & Planetary Laboratory Graduate Outreach Coordinator, 2015-2017
• Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Conference Organizer, 2012 & 2013

Candidate Statement

I am running for the AAS DDA committee this year to emphasize and expand upon our Division's efforts to make our meetings and profession as accessible and inclusive as possible. I believe that our Division has a responsibility to support all of our members, especially those members of our field from underrepresented groups. If elected to the DDA committee, I would work toward and support efforts that facilitate our members from these groups sharing research and engaging with our field, such as advocating for the continuation and possible expansion of the Duncombe Prize for students.

As the graduate outreach coordinator at the University of Arizona's Lunar Planetary Laboratory, I spearheaded efforts to communicate and engage communities in Tucson and the state of Arizona with the current, ongoing research in the broader field. My tenure as outreach coordinator gave me experience working with a wide range of people in many different settings, developing record keeping for assessing the kind and efficacy of our outreach efforts, and also reminding me to always consider multiple perspectives and implications when making a decision. As an organizer of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory conference and upcoming 2018 Emerging Researchers for Exoplanet Science IV conference, I sought and am seeking to promote collaborations and networking among conference goers; while also lowering the barriers for participating in these conferences and engaging with our field. In addition to being a dynamicist myself, all of these experiences working with both scientific communities and as an interface with the public give me a toolkit to use while serving on the DDA committee, fostering our profession's established and encouraging our emerging newcomers, to improve the inclusiveness in our field and to keep our field active well into the future. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you in our Division with your vote -- thank you!

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Electromagnetism - particularly the use of a Chibisov's massive photon (with Cumalat's and my value of mass=10-25 electron volts) to bind galaxies into clusters and to accelerate comic rays
• Alternative gravity - Newton's potential replaced by V= - G M/r (Cos[kor]), where ko=2 pi/400 parsecs. to explain flat rotation curves. (In natural units, h-bar = c =1, 2 pi/400 pc = 10^-25 eV)

Services, Roles, and Activities

• None in AAS. I was chair of the APS topical group on precision measurement (1991-1993)

Professional Experience and Positions

• Organized (with John Cumalat) a Meeting-within-a Meeting on topic "Einstein vs Schwinger: Who is right about gravity?", 9 Speakers AAS Summer meeting 2012
• Organized a Special Session on topic "The Oort Cloud: How is it filled? How is it emptied?", speakers: Jack Lissauer, Ned Wright and me, AAS summer meeting 2011
• Member Scientific Advisory Committee for the Gravity-Probe B mission 1998-2011 (20 meetings in Palo Alto)

Candidate Statement

I have been a regular attendee at conferences and value discussions on the mysteries of the solar system. I know many people in the division and would work to expand participation among students at mu university. I know people in the LIGO team and will try to persuade some to come to DDA to talk about how the 3 observatories (LIGO - Washington, LIGO-Louisiana, & VIRGO-Pisa) are exploring the details of the radiation patterns of new events.

I am very excited about my recent study of the 16 brightest objects in the solar system, 8 planets, and 8 dwarf planets. The perihelia of these are not uniformly distributed around the ecliptic.

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Celestial mechanics
• Numerical simulations
• Natural satellites
• Mercury
• Rotational dynamics
• Orbital dynamics
• Tides

Services, Roles, and Activities

• Nominating Committee Member, 2014-2016
• Nominating Committee Chair, 2016-2017

Professional Experience and Positions

• Symposium Complex Planetary Systems, Namur, Belgium: LOC member

Candidate Statement

I attend DDA meetings almost every year since Halifax 2006. DDA is unique as a small, specialized community, in which dynamicists from planetary and galactic sciences can exchange and share ideas. This is a community of friends as well. As such, DDA meetings have always been very inspiring to me. I have recently served in the Nominating Committee, asking for colleagues whether they would like to become Committee Members. I think it is time for me to take the plunge, this is why I run for the Committee now. If elected, I will encourage early career colleagues, and not exclusively from America, to join the DDA, as I did 12 years ago. This is how we will maintain the excellency of our community.

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Dynamics of planets, stars, and black holes
• Triple to few-body systems
• The galactic center (and other galactic nuclei) dynamics

Services, Roles, and Activities

Professional Experience and Positions

• The Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics at UCLA, executive committee member, summer 2016 - present
• UCLA Galactic Center leadership committee member, Fall 2014 - present
• Cal-bridge program, Steering committee member (Summer 2015 – Dec. 2016) and a mentor, summer 2015 - present 
• Chair of Astro-diversity committee, UCLA, Spring 2016 – present
• Chair of Physics-diversity committee, UCLA, Jan. 2017 – present
• Member of the Physical Sciences Diversity Committee, UCLA, Summer 2016 – present
• UCLA’s Physics and Astronomy department graduate affair and academic affair committees, Sept. 2016 – present

Candidate Statement

My philosophy is that mentoring is critical to the expansion of scientific participance and the inclusion of underrepresented groups. I hope that research and mentoring collaborations will assist in forming an inclusive and educated population beyond the academia.

In UCLA, I am leading a research group consists of graduate and undergraduate students. I am also the grad advisor faculty representative of all the grad students in the Astronomy Division. I am attuned to the needs of the students in our department, paying special attention to underrepresented groups. 

Further, I am serving as the chair of two diversity committees in our department, one is for the Astronomy Division, and the other is for the entire Physics Department. There are two committees to address the different needs. Under this role, I have organized various workshops and town halls to address inclusiveness. These include implicit biases, impostor syndrome, mentoring, fix and growth mindsets, handling anxiety in grad school workshops etc. I am leading an effort to build a physics-bridge program in UCLA in collaboration with the American Physics Society. With these committees, we strive to have an inclusive and diverse environment in our department by specifically addressing obstacles that underrepresented groups encounter, and increase awareness to diversity-related issues in our community.

In addition, I am a mentor in the NSF funded Cal-Bridge program (since 2015). The mission of the program is to increase the number of California State University and community college students completing their Bachelor’s degrees and successfully entering a Ph.D. program to study astronomy or a closely related field.

I also work to advance gender equality in the sciences. Studies have shown that young students who meet female scientists, for example via visits by women scientists in the classroom and/or by talking and reading about women’s contribution to science and their careers, are more likely to view the stereotypical scientist as both female and male. I continue to visit public schools in the Los Angeles community, and undergraduate clubs and give talks aimed to shift the paradigm of a “typical” scientist.

Lastly, I will mention that I strive to bring together the research community to push the frontiers of science forward. Thus, I work toward advancing research through meetings and collaborations. For example, in the winter of 2016, I was the PI of the Aspen Center for Physics meeting which hosted 72 people (from 42 institutions and 17 countries) that came together to discuss new ideas about the observational puzzles and theoretical challenges in the Galactic Center. I am also on the department's colloquium committee and leading the UCLA's Galactic Center Group visitor program. 

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Dynamical evolution of planetary systems 
• Dynamical interactions between stars and supermassive black holes

Services, Roles, and Activities

Professional Experience and Positions

Candidate Statement

The DDA is a small and interactive community, which encourages networking and collaborations. It would be my honor to serve on the committee. I aim to support the open and welcoming atmosphere, to attract outstanding young researchers to the DDA, and to promote diversity.

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Exoplanets
• Dense Star Clusters
• Compact Object Binaries
• Astrophysics of Merging Binary Black Holes

Services, Roles, and Activities

Professional Experience and Positions

Candidate Statement

I have worked with students from High School standard to graduate level. These students represent a wide variety of backgrounds including underrepresented minorities giving me some experience in understanding specific needs at different stages of their careers. I also have some experience with public outreach which includes public lectures at the Adler Planetarium, Chicago Astronomical Society, and telescope operator and in floor astronomer at the open house at Dearborn Observatory at Northwestern. My current position in India allows me to host students during summer to share with them the excitement of Astrophysics through teaching and projects. My other goals include introducing advanced astronomy concepts and developments into school and college curricula, in India, this is severely lacking in most schools and colleges.

Professional Title/Position

Degrees and Education

Affiliations

Research Areas, Topics, and Interests

• Galactic Dynamics
• Cluster Dynamics
• Galaxy Evolution
• Modeling

Services, Roles, and Activities

• Member - AAS Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (2017-2020)
• Sub-committee: Indigenous Knowing & Scientific Perspectives
• Chambliss Judge for American Astronomical Society (2016-2018)

Professional Experience and Positions

• Member - American Physical Society (APS)
• Member - Society for Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
• Board Member - Bryn Mawr College Honor Board (2017-2020)
• Committee Member - Bryn Mawr College Physics Hiring (2017, 2018)

Candidate Statement

As a DDA committee member, I will grow the field by cultivating collaborations across a wide range astrophysical disciplines that have an impact on or are informed by dynamical processes, like the chemical evolution of an evolving spiral galaxy’s disk or formation mechanisms for 30 Msun BHs. As part of this effort, I will encourage participation from historically underrepresented groups. I have mentored many junior astronomers of color, from multiple disciplines, whose research interests are important for the field of dynamics. I will also use my status as a member of the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (CSMA) and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Latinx and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) to advertise and encourage participation in the DDA by underrepresented minorities. This growing demographic is increasingly cross disciplinary, offering new opportunities for wide ranging contributions to the field of dynami cs, in both observation and theory. I will also seek out sources of funding to support DDA's equity and inclusion efforts. In addition to these goals, I will advertise DDA activities to the astronomical community as a whole and encourage financial contributions through social media, particularly at the time of annual renewal.