NASA awards career fellowship to Notre Dame astrophysicist

Justin Crepp

NASA has awarded Justin R. Crepp, the Freimann Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Notre Dame, with an Early Occupation Fellowship. He is the only awardee in the nation to acquire the fellowship in the Origins of Solar Techniques system. Crepp’s task, “Working at the Diffraction Limit: New Exoplanetary Science in the Era of ‘Extreme’ Adaptive Optics,” was chosen by means of a competitive proposal process, followed by peer overview in a second round of evaluation.

With funding from NASA, Crepp will construct the world’s very first diffraction-constrained Doppler spectrometer. The instrument notion, named “iLocater”, will record ultra-exact radial velocity measurements of close by stars at infrared wavelengths, and uncover Earth-like planets orbiting the smallest and most common stars in the galaxy — the so-called “M-dwarfs.” It will also characterize their orbits and possibly the planets’ atmospheres to search for indications of daily life.

ILocater will be designed and constructed at the experimental astrophysics laboratory in Nieuwland Science Hall at the University of Notre Dame. Crepp and his crew aim to check a prototype model of the instrument employing the new .8-meter Sarah L. Krizmanich telescope situated on the rooftop of the Jordan Science Hall. ILocater will ultimately be delivered to the Huge Binocular Telescope in southeast Arizona, with first-light observations slated for spring 2016.

“This is not only a wonderful honor for Professor Crepp, but it will let Notre Dame to construct an instrument for the Big Binocular Telescope that could revolutionize the search for Earth-like exoplanets,” mentioned Christopher Kolda, chair of the Department of Physics.

Gregory Crawford, dean of the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame, stated, “Justin Crepp’s revolutionary iLocator is an example of the large-impact science that the University of Science accomplishes to lead the area of astronomy forward in technologies and strategies.”

Get in touch with: Justin Crepp, 574-631-4092, jcrepp@nd.edu

NASA awards career fellowship to Notre Dame astrophysicist

Two superintendents receive awards

Randy Schrader

Bonneville School District Superintendent Charles Shackett and Backyard Valley College District Superintendent Randy Schrader have received leading leadership awards from the Idaho Association of School Administrators. They will be formally acknowledged at the IASA Annual Leadership Conference on Aug. 5, 2014.

Shackett was named the 2014 Superintendent of the Yr based on his nomination by Jeanne Johnson, principal of Cloverdale Elementary in Idaho Falls. His colleges often acquire higher marks in the state’s five-star rating system.

Randy Schrader earned the District Leadership Award. Schrader was nominated by his teachers due to the fact of the “exemplary function he has completed to improve the district because his arrival in 2011, from nurturing an revolutionary, cohesive faculty to implementing new engineering and educating approaches to creating trust with the neighborhood.” Backyard Valley has obtained the highest rating in the state’s five-star rating program.

Charles Shackett

“I am so honored by this and it genuinely signifies a whole lot understanding it comes from my personnel,” Schrader mentioned. “They have worked so tough and I’m very proud to have been a portion of this school’s achievement.”

Two superintendents receive awards