Grant Wilson

Professor
Graduate Program Director
Grant Wilson
wilson@astro.umass.edu

Education: 

Ph.D., Brown University, Physics
M.S., Brown University, Physics
B.S., Tufts University, Engineering Physics

Office: 

LGRT-B 622

Address: 

University of Massachusetts Department of Astronomy LGRT-B 622 710 North Pleasant Street Amherst, MA 01003-9305

Phone Number: 

413-545-0460

Fax: 

413-545-4223

Research Interests: 

Research Interests:  My research interests span much of the observable universe - from the energetics of clusters of galaxies to high redshift galaxy evolution, to star formation in nearby galaxies and in the Milky Way.  I do this through pioneering observations of the millimeter wavelength sky using the Large Millimeter Telescope.  Currently I am leading an effort to build a fundamentally new tool for these studies - the TolTEC camera: http://toltec.astro.umass.edu/.

Teaching Statement: 

I have been deeply influenced by both formal and informal teachers throughout my life. My love of learning has been inspired, it did not come along by itself. I try to always remember this when I'm in the classroom. Outside Astronomy I am very interested in advanced computational techniques, pedagogical techniques, and the philosophy of scientific inquiry. I think about all of these things in terms of modeling with a strong emphasis on how noise and uncertainty influence our data and our thinking.