I am running the Texas State University Observatory, where we have weekly public observing (weather permitting) every Wednesday after sunset. The Observatory is located on the roof of the Supple Science building. It houses a 16-inch telescope making galaxies visible from both near and far. To stay informed about the current astronomy events at Texas State, please visit our Facebook page at @astrotxst.

In 2016 I started the Texas State Astronomy Club where I’m now serving as advisor. We participate in many outreach events, such as visiting schools in the area and fundraisers. With the help of the Astronomy Club, I built a small (relatively) portable planetarium. The construction was very popular among the 2018 WISE conference participants, earning us the WISE People’s Choice award, an award the Club received for a second consecutive year.

In the summer of 2017, I took 12 students to Marshall, MO to observe the total solar eclipse (Aug 21). We brought three telescope + DSLR cameras to capture the eclipse. The (~14 hr one-way) trip was a success and we were able to see and photograph the spectacular event.

I’ve been interested in Astronomy for as long as I can remember. Even the first book I have ever read was the science fiction novel “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem. Granted, I couldn’t comprehend what was all about and I had to reread the book again when I was teenager. I became heavily involved with Amateur Astronomy when I was 11 years old. I learned a lot about telescopes, observing, the wide diversity of celestial objects, astrophotography, and much more. I tried to summarize some of my knowledge by putting together an educational website called Astronomy Lounge.