Jatila van der Veen

Instructor

Email: jkvanderveen@pipeline.sbcc.edu

I have been involved in astronomy and physics education and research for over 30 years. I helped design and develop one of the first remotely operated robotic telescope systems in the US (The Remote Access Astronomy Project), and worked for NASA for nine years as Education Lead for the US collaborators on the international Planck Mission. My research has focused on using arts-based teaching strategies to improve access to physics for all students, learning astronomy in virtual immersive spaces, and sonification of astrophysical data. More recently, I have been working with a group at UCSB on dust mitigation for lunar missions.

When I am not working on astronomy, I train for competitive Latin International ballroom dance, and help organize several community shows (see, for example, www.sbassh.com). I have two personal websites (which are, admittedly, badly in need of updating): http://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~jatila/ and https://jatiladance.wordpress.com/.

Courses taught: The online version of Astronomy (EARTH-101) and Honors Astronomy (on campus) in the spring. In the Honors class we study special topics in astronomy, astrophysics, and space travel. This year we will again focus on Lunar Colonization. Please contact me if you are an honors student and want to enroll in this seminar.