Dr. Lionel Crews, UTM Assistant Professor of Physics, recently received a $3,500 research grant from the American Astronomical Society.

After some deliberation, Crews has decided to focus the money in two areas. Crews will purchase a laptop computer, costing $1,500, to be used to take and analyze astronomical data faster. The remaining $2,000 will be used for travel expenses to astronomical observatories from various places around the world.

Currently, Crews has put proposals in at four different observatories. Two of the observatories are in Chile, and the remaining two are in Hawaii and Arizona.

At these renowned observatories, Crews will continue a project he is doing with Dr. Tracy Huard, a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The project consists of studying the beginning stages of star and planet formation.

Crews will use special infrared telescopes to probe the structure of a star and measure the effects of stars caused by dust.

“It’s a cutting-edge research project,” Crews said. “It’s a very important topic in astronomy today.”

In studying the beginning stages of star and planet formation, Crews said greater knowledge can be inferred about the universe and how it develops and works.

In the past Crews has been able to take UTM students to astronomical observatories and national conventions. Crews added that if anyone wishes to participate in astronomy projects of this nature in the future to contact him.