Public Outreach Project

Our graduate students, past and present, have been distinguished nationally by their commitment and contributions to the greater Astronomy community, including the lay public.  ComSciCon and Astrobites are just two examples of efforts that were initiated by and continue to thrive thanks to students at Harvard. In that tradition, the faculty consider it important that every student contribute in a meaningful way to communicating their own area of research to audiences beyond professional astronomers.

The core requirement is that the outreach project aligns with the topic of the student’s PhD thesis research. It is not necessary to explain the exact focus of the thesis, just to align the topic of the project with the field of the thesis. For example, a student studying a potential bias in some large-scale structure statistic could create an outreach project focused on the role of large-scale structure studies in cosmology

Ultimately, the outreach project must be available online, as an interactive website, video, or written material. In-person or real-time presentation of the project (e.g., at a CfA Observatory Night, Astronomy on Tap, forums for undergraduates, or Three Minute Thesis) is strongly encouraged but not required.

Students who would like help with the educational or technical aspects of their project can contact members of the Cosmic Data Stories and Seamless Astronomy efforts at the CfA, or ask the DGS for other suggestions. The Bok Center can also offer video production guidance and facilities."

Responsibility for approving and validating such projects rests with the DGS.  If you have questions as to whether or not an idea would satisfy the departmental outreach requirement, please consult with the DGS prior to initiating the project.

Students should expect to spend at least 20 hours of effort on their outreach project.   They must complete a form detailing their efforts available here.  The forms are due by the end of the Fall in the student's final year.

Examples of public outreach opportunities:

Additional examples of deliverable projects