Astronomy Professor added to Harlow Shapely Lecture Circuit
Darren Williams, associate professor of physics and astronomy at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, has been named to the Harlow Shapely Visiting Lectureship circuit.
Sponsored by the American Astronomical Society, Shapely Lecturers share their enthusiasm for astronomy and astrophysics during subsidized two-day visits at colleges across the country, particularly institutions that do not offer an astronomy degree.
Williams’ current research interests lie in the relatively new field of astrobiology, which asks, Can a planet support life? He has secured nearly $500,000 in research support from NASA and the National Science Foundation, and makes an extraordinary effort to include Penn State Erie undergraduate students in his work by giving them meaningful research assignments.
Since 1995, Williams has given more than 100 public talks on his research. He is a frequent speaker at the Penn State Erie Open House Nights in Astronomy, and has spoken at Penn State’s University Park campus, Dickinson College, University of Vermont, University of Maine, Carnegie Science Center, and the Institute for Astrophysics in Granada, Spain. His topics ranged from Pluto and extrasolar planets to planetary habitability and oceans on distant earths.
Williams’ work also has been mentioned in a number of popular magazines, including Nature, National Geographic, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, and Discover.
Most recently, Williams was the commencement speaker for the college’s December 2006 graduation ceremony.