Biography
Dr. Stephen's received her bachelors degree from BYU and her masters and PhD from New Mexico State University and then went on to work at the Space Telescope Science Institute and Johns Hopkins University before coming to BYU.
Research Interests
I specialize in the study of brown dwarf atmospheres. Brown dwarfs are cold objects that form like a star, but do not have enough mass to fuse hydrogen into helium as stars do. They are very similar to planets and have various molecules and cloud features in their upper atmosphere. My research focuses on understanding the fundamental physics governing the atmospheres of these objects so that the models we create for these objects can be taken to the even cooler temperatures of the extrasolar planets. We are using the APO 3.5-meter to collect near-infrared spectra from 1-2.5 microns and will make use of data from the James Webb Space Telescope to obtain data from 5 to 15 microns and SPHEREx data from 2.5 to 5 microns to make a complete spectal energy distribution for a number of L and T dwarfs from 1 to 15 microns. This data will be used to refine atmosphere models, and the atmosphere models will help us understand the fundamental physical properties of these objects.We are currently fitting both foward models as well as retreival models to the brown dwarf spectra. More recent research developments involve using the APO 3.5 meter telescope to obtain time series photometry in the J- and K-bands to measure variability for several brown dwarfs as they rotate. This variability should correspond to the structure of the clouds, and we are running retreival models with the variability to try and recreate some of the cloud structure.
I am also involved with the brown dwarf group preparing for data from the LSST telescope, which will be going live soon. I am also making plans and preparing to analyze data taken with the Euclid telescope and in the not distant future the Roman space telescope. These two surveys will be able to discover new brown dwarfs that are far to distant to have been discovered with 2MASS or WISE surveys. We are trying to determine how to combine LSST, Euclid,SphereX, and Roman data to positively identify these targets based on their photometric colors.
I am using the 12-inch telescope on the roof of the ESC to get follow-up transit photometry of possible extrasolar planets with undergraduate students. I am also using the 20-inch ARCSAT telescope at Apache Point Observatory. We are observing Tess targets of interest, and selected exoplanet targets for the Ariel mission. These observations will be used to refine the timing of the transits and their durations so that when the Ariel mission goes live in four years to obtain transit spectra of the atmospheres of these planets, we won't miss the transit due to uncertainty in the period.
Teaching Interests
I enjoy teaching BYU students at all educational levels, from the 100 and 200 level courses in astronomy up to the graduate level stellar atmospheres and observational courses. I am also happy to teach physics courses when I am needed, including the modern physics course and the thermal physics course. My main research area is gas physics with a focus on stellar and planetary atmospheres, so I feel most comfortable teaching related course, but honestly with time I could prep to teach almost any course in our undergraduate curriculum. I would be happy to teach the University 101 course if asked. I also loved teaching for the honors department, and would gladly teach again for them at some point in the future. I would also love to lead a study abroad group in the future. I am also happy to be a guest teacher or lecturer in astronomy for any existing courses.Education
- PhD, Astronomy , Physics, New Mexico State University (2002)
- Masters, Astronomy , Physics, New Mexico State University (1999)
- Bachelors, Physics , Math, Brigham Young University (1996)
Honors and Awards
- Alcuin Fellowship, BYU Honors Program (2019 - 2022)
- Excellence in Teaching Award (3-10) Years, BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (2016 - 2018)
Memberships
- Division for Planetary Sciences (1997 - Present)
- American Astronomical Society (1994 - Present)
Professional Citizenship
- Member, Member of the LSST Ultracool Dwarfs Working Group (2024 - Present)
- Member, TESS and KELT Follow-Up Networks (2018 - Present)
- Member, Scorpio Core Science Team (2016 - Present)
- Board Member, Secretary for the Division for Planetary Sciences (2023 - 2026)
- Committee/Council Member, Member of the Local Orgnizing Committee for 56th Meeting DPS in Boise, Idaho (2023 - 2024)
- Publications-outreach, Washington DC Temple Visitor Center (2024 - 2024)
- Conference-Related Role, APS Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physics (2024 - 2024)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, JWST External Reviewer (2023 - 2024)
- Publications-outreach, Outreach Events for Local Church Organizations (2023 - 2023)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NSF Exoplanet Careers Panel (2023 - 2023)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, External Reviewer for MNRAS and other journals (2023 - 2023)
- Guest Speaker, St George Astronomy Group (2023 - 2023)
- Guest Speaker, BYU Global Women's Studies (2023 - 2023)
- Other, Desert News Sterling Scholar Judge - Science (2023 - 2023)
- Conference-Related Role, APS Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physics (2023 - 2023)
- Committee/Council Member, APO Instrumentation Planning Task Force (2021 - 2021)
- Committee/Council Member, APO Summer Science Meeting (2021 - 2021)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA (2021 - 2021)
- Other, JWST Master Class (2019 - 2020)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA TESS (2020 - 2020)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA (2019 - 2019)
- Guest Speaker, Latinos in Action (2018 - 2019)
- Committee/Council Member, Origins Space Telescope Exoplanet Working Group (2017 - 2019)
- Committee/Council Chair, Division for Planetariy Sciences co-chair LOC Provo, UT (2016 - 2017)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA (2017 - 2017)
- Guest Speaker, Utah Valley University (2016 - 2017)
- Other, Central Utah Regional Science Fair (2015 - 2017)
- Guest Speaker, Utah Valley University (2016 - 2016)
- Publications-outreach, Boy Scouts of America (2012 - 2015)
- Committee/Council Member, NASA Keck Telescope Allocation Committee (2014 - 2015)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA (2015 - 2015)
- Media Interview, BYU Radio (2015 - 2015)
- Media Interview, BYU Radio (2015 - 2015)
- Media Interview, BYU Radio (2015 - 2015)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Science Foundation (2015 - 2015)
- Other, Sterling Scholar (2013 - 2015)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Science Foundation (2014 - 2015)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship (NPP) Reviewer (2013 - 2014)
- Publications-outreach, Hosted a Girls in Science day at BYU - STEM-OUT (2013 - 2013)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA ADAP Panel (2013 - 2013)
- Other, Central Utah Science & Engineering Fair (2010 - 2013)
- Guest Speaker, Expanding Your Horizons (2013 - 2013)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, National Science Foundation (NSF) (2012 - 2013)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Science (2012 - 2012)
- Committee/Council Member, APS Four Corners Meeting (2012 - 2012)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NSF Review Panel (2012 - 2012)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, SMART Scholarship (2012 - 2012)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA Origins Panel (2011 - 2011)
- Grant Proposal Reviewer, External, NASA Origins Panel (2010 - 2010)
- Other, Kid's Science Palooza - Provo Parks and Rec (2010 - 2010)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Chilean Government for Scientific and Technological Development (2009 - 2009)
- Editor, Associate Editor, Tocarre Newsletter (alumni) (2007 - 2008)