UT Physics Professor To Study Massive Stars With NSF Grant

The University of Tampa was awarded $210,719 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support a research project by Katie Gordon, assistant professor of physics.

UT Physics Professor to Study Massive Stars with NSF Grant The funds will allow UT to join the SARA (The Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy) Observatory Consortium, which will grant UT’s Physics and Astronomy Department access to three advanced telescopes located in Arizona, Chile and Spain.

Gordon’s research specialty is studying massive stars through a measurement technique called interferometry, and the project is titled “Constraining Stellar Structure and Evolution of Massive Stars with Optical Interferometry.” The funds will allow UT to join the SARA (The Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy) Observatory Consortium, which will grant UT’s Physics and Astronomy Department access to three advanced telescopes located in Arizona, Chile and Spain.

The telescopes can be controlled remotely, and Gordon said students will train with them on campus for unique hands-on astronomical observing and for pursuing research projects. “We are very excited for the opportunities this will provide to the UT community,” said Gordon.

The NSF is an independent federal agency created to promote the progress of science. The NSF funds research and education in science and engineering through grants, contracts and cooperative agreements. Approximately 27% of the total federal budget for basic research conducted at U.S. colleges and universities is funded by the NSF.

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