Curriculum Vitae

 

 

Updated on December 17, 2008

 

Brent Buckalew

Assistant Professor of Physics
Area of concentration: Mid-Infrared Properties of Extragalactic H II Regions

 

 

Department of Physics
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Prescott, AZ 86301
Email: buckaleb@erau.edu
Tel: +1 928 777 6633
Fax: +1 928 777 3827

 

Home address:
441 Galloway Dr.
Chino Valley, AZ 86323
Tel: (928)636-0479

 

PRIMARY TEACHING/RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • Astronomy
  • Physics

SPECIFIC RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • Multiwavelength Study of the Impact of Young Star Clusters on Their Local Interstellar Medium and How This Evolves into Global Changes in a Galaxies’ Morphology and Star Formation History
  • Connections between the Starburst phenomena at low- and high-redshifts

SPECIFIC TEACHING INTERESTS

  • Basic Astronomy Courses for non-majors
  • Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium
  • Star Formation and Evolution

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

  • 1997-2003: Gave 4 Public Lectures at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s George Observatory’s “Astronomy Day”
  • 2001: Provided 1 hour lecture for the Special Lecture Series of the Houston Astronomical Society
  • 2002: Memorial Middle School: Provided Lecture and Stargazing Opportunity for the Children of this School
  • 2002-2003: Gave 2 1 hour Lectures for the North Houston Astronomical Society’s monthly meetings
  • 2004: Conducted Tour and Stargazing Event for Deaf Children in the Cathedral Home for Children, Laramie, WY
  • 2004-2005: Assisted in Two of the Open House of the Wyoming Infrared Observatory 

COURSES GRADED

COURSES TAUGHT

  • 1995-1996: Astronomy 101 Laboratory Gave the lecture to the indoor labs, graded all labs, and answered questions during the labs
  • 2000-2003: SPAC 201, Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe Gave 4 Guest Lectures on Extragalactic Astronomy
  • 2003-2004: Journal Club For 2 Semesters Organized the Club and Supervised the Presentation and Discussion on Current Research Papers
  • 2004: Stellar Evolution Class at the University of Wyoming Gave 1 Guest Lecture on Wolf-Rayet Stars
  • 2007 Summer: PS 104 01, Technical Physics II
  • 2007 Summer: PS 104L 50, Technical Physics II Laboratory
  • 2007 Fall: PS 104 03, Technical Physics II
  • 2007 Fall: PS 104 04, Technical Physics II
  • 2007 Fall: PS 150 02, Physics I for Engineers
  • 2008 Spring: PS 103 02, Technical Physics I
  • 2008 Spring: PS 103 03, Technical Physics I
  • 2008 Spring: PS 103L 52, Technical Physics I Laboratory
  • 2008 Spring: PS 103L 57, Technical Physics I Laboratory
  • 2008 Spring: EP 420 01, Planetary Sciences

CURRICULUM DESIGN

  • 2001-2003: NSF GK-12 Fellowship – Created 2 Lessons to Facilitate Modern Astrophysics Research into Middle School Science Curricula

MENTOR

  • Jayce Dowell during the University of Wyoming ’s REU-SURAP program in the summer of 2004 (publication accepted)
  • Yuri Malina during the 2007 summer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

OUTREACH PROGRAM

  • 2001-2003: NSF GK-12 Fellowship Interned in the Teacher Enhancement Network Program “The Galveston Bay Project”
  • 2001-2003: NSF GK-12 Fellowship Helped Create Two Outreach Programs for Science and Math Teachers

STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY (click here for the document)

TUTORING

·        1993-1997 Tutored pre-med students in algebra-based physics

·        2002 Tutored a high school student in her physics course

 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Aug. 1993 – May 1997, Drake University, Des Moines, IA

As a physics tutor, I helped pre-med students with getting through the algebraic physics classes required for their major. I also helped out with the astronomy lab. There, I set up the labs, graded their reports, and taught various indoor labs when it was cloudy. I also conducted research under Dr. Anthony Marston's advisement. In 1995, I helped him on his research of Seyfert 2 galaxies. I also helped him with IRAS data of Wolf-Rayet stars searching for cirumstellar dust. During his telescope run to Kitt Peak, I assisted him at the 2.1 meter for taking infrared images of Wolf-Rayet shell nebulae. For one summer (1994), I was given the oppurtunity to conduct research at MIT's Haystack Observatory. I helped Michael Buonsanto with his sensitivity study of the upper thermospheric neutral winds.

  • June 1997 – May 2003, Rice University, Hoston, TX.

Dr. Dufour hired me on as a summer student (in 1997, prior to my attending this school for graduate studies) to help with his reduction of the HST pictures of I Zw 18. I have also worked on HST STIS spectra of NGC 7635 and HST images of NGC 1569. Both projects were presented at conferences and publications (see below). I completed my thesis topic on star clusters with and without Wolf-Rayet stars in starburst galaxies. I was awarded time at Kitt Peak’s 2.1 m and 0.9 m and proposed for HST time as well.

  • June 2003 – July 2005, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.

Dr. Kobulnicky hired me

  • July 2005 – Present, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.

Dr. Helou and Dr. Armus hired me to work on the SINGS Extranuclear Data

observational experience

  • Awarded 6 VLA-A and –B array hours
  • Awarded 6.1 Spitzer telescope hours with $36,000 funding
  • Awarded ~60 nights at Kitt Peak National Observatory, Observatorio Astronomico Nacional, Palomar Observatory, and Wyoming Infrared Observatory 1 m – 5 m telescopes
  • Observed with Optical and Near-Infrared Imagers and Optical Spectrophotometers
  • Reduced and Analyzed Data from Radio to X-ray Wavelengths

Telescope Allocation Committees

·        Member of the GALEX Cycle 1 Peer Review Panel on Galactic Interactions

·        Member of the HST Cycle 15 Peer Review Extragalactic 1 Panel

journal Referee

·        Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

·        The Open Journal of Astronomy

Data workshops

  • Completed 5th Chandra CIAO Workshop in October of 2003
  • Completed Spitzer Data Workshop in March of 2005

REFEREED JOURNAL PUBLICATION

1.     Buckalew, Brent A. & Kobulnicky, Henry A.  The Starburst-Interstellar Medium Interaction in NGC 1569. II. Small-Scale Examination of Nebular Emission, H II Region Size Distribution, and H II Region Luminosity Function, 2006 AJ, 132, 1061

2.     Dale, D. A., Smith, J. D. T., Armus, L., Buckalew, B. A., et al.  Mid-Infrared Spectral Diagnostics of Nuclear and Extranuclear Regions in Nearby Galaxies 2006, ApJ, 646, 161

3.     Bendo, George J., Buckalew, Brent A., et al. Spitzer and JCMT Observations of the Active Galactic Nucleus in the Sombrero Galaxy (NGC 4594) 2006, ApJ, 645, 134

4.     Engelbracht, C. W. et al. Extended Mid-Infrared Aromatic Feature Emission in M82  2006, ApJL, 642, 127

5.     Buckalew, Brent A. et al. Understanding Radio-selected Thermal Sources in M33: Ultraviolet, Optical, Near-Infrared, Spitzer Mid-Infrared, and Radio Observations 2006, ApJS, 162, 329

6.     Buckalew, Brent A., Kobulnicky, Henry A., & Dufour, Reginald J. Comparison of Star Clusters With and Without Wolf-Rayet Stars in Wolf-Rayet Galaxies 2005, ApJS, 157, 30

7.     Kobulnicky, Henry A., Monson, A. J., Buckalew, B. A., et al. Discovery of a New Low-Latitude Milky Way Globular Cluster Using GLIMPSE 2005, AJ, 129, 239

8.     Moore, Brian D., Walter, Donald K., Hester, J. Jeff, Scowen, Paul A., Dufour, Reginald J., & Buckalew, Brent A. Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the Windblown Nebula NGC 7635 2002, AJ, 124, 3313

9.     Rubin, R. H., Bhatt, N. J., Dufour, R. J., Buckalew, B. A., et al. Temperature variations from Hubble Space Telescope imagery and spectroscopy of NGC 7009 2002, MNRAS, 334, 777

10. Buckalew, Brent A., Dufour, Reginald J., Shopbell, Patrick L., & Walter, Donald K. The Starburst-Interstellar Medium Interaction in NGC 1569. I. Location and Nature of He II Sources UsingHubble Space Telescope WFPC2 Imagery 2000, AJ, 120, 2402

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Go to the ADS Abstract Service for these publications.  Click here.

GRANTS AND FUNDED RESEARCH

1.     NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship awarded from NASA-Ames research center. Joint research project with Bob Rubin (Ames) and Reginald Dufour (Rice) on a multiwavelength survey of Wolf-Rayet Galaxies (thesis project).  Total Award of ~$65,000

2.     NSF GK-12 Fellowship Participate in Developing Lessons for Middle School Science and Math Classes, Intern in an Outreach Program, and Develop Two Lessons for our GK-12 Outreach Programs  Total Award of ~$27,000

3.     Spitzer GO-1 Program awarded from Spitzer Science Center.  Joint research project with Henry Kobulnicky (University of Wyoming) and Mark Wolfire (University of Maryland) on the Impact of Young Star Clusters in Nearby Galaxies on the Local Interstellar Medium as a Function of Age Using IRS Spectra.  Total Award of $36,000

REFERENCES

  • Dr. Lee Armus, IRS Project Director, Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA:
    Tel: +1 (626) 395-8569, Email: lee@ipac.caltech.edu
  • Dr. Reginald Dufour, Professor, Physics & Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX:
    Tel: +1 (713) 348-3348, Email: rjd@rice.edu
  • Dr. Henry “Chip” Kobulnicky, Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY:
    Tel: +1 (307) 766-2982, Email: chipk@uwyo.edu
  • Dr. George Helou, IPAC Director, IPAC, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA:
    Tel: +1 (626) 395-1801, Email: gxh@ipac.caltech.edu
  • Dr. Robert “Bob” Rubin, Astronomer, Space Science Division, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffat Field, CA:
    Tel: +1 (650) 604-6450, Email: rubin@cygnus.arc.nasa.gov  
  • Dr. Stacia Spillane, Evaluation Specialist, Rice University, Houston, TX:
    Tel: +1 (713) 349-1800 ext. 339, Email: sspillan@houstonisd.org

EDUCATION

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Astronomy and Astrophysics), Degree Awarded: May 2003
    Rice University, Houston, TX U.S.A.
    Dissertation Title: Comparison of Clusters With and Without Detectable Wolf-Rayet Stars in Starburst Galaxies Using Optical, Near-infrared Imaging and Spectroscopy
  • Master of Science (Space Physics and Astronomy), Degree Awarded: December 2001
    Rice University, Houston, TX U.S.A.
  • Bachelor of Science (Physics and Mathematics), Degree Awarded: May 1997
    Drake University, Des Moines, IA, U.S.A.

 

ORGANIZATIONS, HONORS, and AWARDS

  • Member: American Astronomical Society (AAS)
  • Founder: Drake Anime Club (DAC)
  • Vice President: Drake Chapter of Society of Physics Students
  • Award: William F. Marlar Scholar
  • Fellowship: Rice Graduate Fellowship
  • Fellowship: NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship
  • Fellowship: NASA/Texas Space Grant Consortium Fellowship
  • Fellowship: NSF/Rice GK-12 Fellowship
  • Fellowship: William & Elva Gordon Fellowship
  • Scholarship: Drake Founders Scholarship
  • Scholarship: Drake President's Freshman Scholarship
  • Scholarship: Jim Hecker Scholarship

COMPUTING EXPERIENCE

  • 9 years of experience with being the systems administrator for UNIX computers
  • 9 years familiarity with LINUX/UNIX, DOS/PC, and Mac
  • 9 years experience with either IRAF, IDL, AIPS, S-plus, Perl, or FORTRAN
  • Currently learning Python & SQL

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