Degrees

• 1989 Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles
• 1982 M.S. University of California, Los Angeles
• 1980 B.S. Yale University

Research Area

• Star and planet formation

Current Courses

• Astronomy 102: Introduction to Astronomy
• Astronomy 201: The Solar System
• Astronomy 203: Theories of the Universe
• Astronomy 250: Undergraduate Seminar
• Honors 182-06: The Copernican Revolution

Current Positions

• Professor of Astronomy, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Vanderbilt University
• Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Physics & Astronomy
• Director, Program in the Communication of Science and Technology (CST)

Previous Positions

• 1998-2005 Associate Professor of Astronomy, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Vanderbilt University
• 1991-1998 Assistant Professor of Astronomy, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Vanderbilt University
• 1989-1991 Research Associate, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida
• 1984-1985 Instructor of Astronomy, Santa Monica Community College

Professional Societies

• American Astronomical Society
• Astronomical Society of the Pacific

Professional Honors

• Chancellor’s Award for Research, 2005
• Jeffrey Nordhaus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, 2003
• Chancellor's Cup, 2001: given to the Vanderbilt faculty member "who has made the greatest contribution to undergraduate student-faculty relationships in the recent past"
• Robert Penn Warrent Center for the Humanities Fellow, 1999-2000
• Templeton Foundation Award, Science & Religion course competition, 1998
• Lilly Teaching Fellow, 1994-1995

Graduate Students

• Sonali J. Shukla (2009)
• Jeffrey Bary, Ph.D., 2003. Current position: NSF postdoctoral scholar, University of Virginia
• Tracy Huard, Ph.D. 2000. Current position: postdoctoral research associate, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
• Laszlo Sturmann, Ph.D. 1997. Current position: Staff Scientist, CHARA.
• Ashwin Mahesh, M.S. 1993. Current position: Research Scientist, Goddard Earth Science and Technology Center, GSFC.

Publications

• Is Pluto a Planet? An Historical Journey Through the Solar System. Princeton University Press (2006). See: http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8247.html