Educational Programs and Public Outreach
Graduate Opportunities
Many of the most exciting research opportunities today take place across traditional areas of expertise. They require understanding, training and collaboration among disciplines. The challenges of astrobiological research can provide some of the most stimulating learning and cutting edge research opportunities available.
The Center for Astrobiology will institute a graduate minor concentration in astrobiology in Fall 2009. This program integrates several traditional disciplines and allows students to pursue depth on a home department while following their interests beyond these typical departmental boundaries.
This concentration will require three courses in astrobiology (9 units) and courses as required by the student’s home department. Students in a PhD major at the University of Arizona will be able to participate in the Astrobiology minor. For more information about current departmental offerings related to astrobiology:
Astronomy
Michael Meyer mmeyer@as.arizona.edu
Biology/EEB/MCB
Howard Ochman hochman@email.arizona.edu
Chemistry
Lucy Ziurys lziurys@as.arizona.edu
Planetary Sciences
Jonathan Lunine jlunine@lpl.arizona.edu
Undergraduate Opportunities
The Center for Astrobiology plans to institute an undergraduate minor program in astrobiology in Fall 2009. This minor will require 18 units of course work selected from a listing of pertinent courses. The Center will work with the student’s home department to administer the minor.
Educational and Public Outreach
Faculty affiliates with the Center provide educational outreach to K-12 students through existing departmental and program education and public outreach efforts including Conceptual Astronomy and Physics Educational Research (CAPER), Arizona Space Grant Consortium and other departmental programs. The Center is working to expand into biological sciences EPO efforts over the next year.
Researchers also present public lectures and demonstrations and communicate the excitement of astrobiology through news stories and in magazine articles.
KUAT-TV: Titan Lakes Jonathan Lunine discusses the Cassini mission to Saturn's moon, Titan: Can Titan's methane be a solvent for life as water is on Earth? [click on title to view]
KUAT-TV: Exoplanets Jonathan Lunine discusses the search for other solar systems: Will we find habitable planets? [click on title to view]
Mercury: Learning and Communicating Across Disciplines The University of Arizona facilitates interactions between the physical sciences and life sciences through joint research in astrobiology. [click on title to download pdf version of article]
For more information about astrobiology educational opportunities for K-12, public lectures and demonstrations, contact Anna H. Spitz, 626-3892, aspitz@as.arizona.edu.
