Professor
Graduate Program Director
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.
