Research Students

I've been privileged to work with the following students at Western Kentucky University, some of whom have won awards. Most have done interstellar astrophysics research, but some have helped with local radio astronomy facilities.

  • Isaiah Beauchamp, WKU Physics major and Astronomy minor
  • Aaron Bell, WKU Biology and Physics major and Gatton scholar
  • Trason Carter, WKU Physics and Mechanical Engineering major
  • Ward Howard, Union University Physics major and WKU summer intern
  • James ("Marcus") Hughes, Gatton Academy student and later WKU summer intern
  • Kelly Humphrey, WKU Physics and Mathematics major
  • Christian Jolly, Gatton Academy student
  • Jonathan Newton, WKU Math and Physics major and Astronomy minor
  • Mary Spraggs, Gatton Academy student, WKU Physics major, and Gatton scholar
  • Sean Stopher, Gatton Academy student
  • Aaron Tagliaboschi, WKU Computer Science major
  • Phillip Wilkerson, Gatton Academy student
  • James ("Dex") Wood, WKU Computer Science major

Research Student Photos

Photos of some of these students are below. Clicking on a photo accesses a larger version.


Aaron Bell presents his poster at the 40th annual Western Kentucky University Student Research Conference in February 2010.


Jonathan Newton won the Marsh White Award for Outstanding Student Presentation at the 77th annual meeting of the Southeast Section of the American Physical Society (SESAPS) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in October 2010.


Jonathan Newton gives a talk at the 41st annual WKU Student Research Conference in March 2011.


Christian Jolly is hard at work on his summer research project in the WKU astronomy computer laboratory in June 2011.


Jonathan Newton presents his poster at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Austin, Texas in January 2012, as mentioned in local press.


Jonathan Newton explains his research to NASA Infrared Processing and Analysis Center dust expert Sean Carey at the January 2012 AAS.


Aaron Bell's poster won the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award for Exemplary Research at the January 2012 AAS.


Aaron Bell discusses his poster with another student at the Council on Undergraduate Research's Posters on the Hill event in Washington, DC in April 2012.


Ward Howard, a WKU summer intern from Union University, pauses in a discussion of his research project in August 2012.


Mary Spraggs answers questions about her poster at the 223rd AAS meeting in Washington, D.C. in January 2014, which was mentioned in a press article.


Marcus Hughes got some good attention at his January 2014 AAS poster, as noted in the same article.


Mary Spraggs discusses her research with her advisor in December 2015.


Mary Spraggs describes her poster to a fellow astronomer at the January 2016 AAS meeting.


Mary Spraggs won the WKU Honors Capstone Experience / Thesis of the Year in May 2016.


Marcus Hughes takes a break from research with his advisor at WKU in September 2016.


Phillip Wilkerson shows his poster at the Caroll Martin Gatton Academy for Mathematics and Science in Kentucky's Research Showcase in March 2017.


Phillip Wilkerson describes his project to judges at the WKU Student Research Conference in March 2017.


Aaron Bell presents his Ph.D. dissertation results at a conference on science with the AKARI infrared satellite telescope in Tokyo, Japan in October 2017.


Isaiah Beauchamp gives a talk on his research at the WKU Student Research Conference in March 2022.


Isaiah Beauchamp (and mother) with his Randall Harper Award for Outstanding Research in Physics and Astronomy at the Ogden College award ceremony in April 2022.

Research Student Honors and Awards

 Here are a few awards and achievements related to student research, with links where available.

Steven Gibson | Research