Univ. of Arizona, Astronomy, Postdoctoral research, 1996-1999
Univ. of Chicago, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Ph.D., 1996
Univ. of Chicago, Astronomy & Astrophysics, M.S., 1990
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Engineering Physics, B. Tech., 1989
Professor: Univ. of South Carolina, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, 8/2010-present
Interim Dept. Chair: Univ. of South Carolina, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, 7/2012-6/2013
Associate Professor: Univ. of South Carolina, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, 8/2005-7/2010
Assistant Professor: Univ. of South Carolina, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, 8/2000-7/2005
Assistant Professor: Clemson Univ., Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, 8/1999-8/2000
Research Associate: Univ. of Arizona, Steward Observatory, 9/1996-8/1999
AURA Predoctoral Fellow: Space Telescope Science Institute, 1992-1996 (visiting from Univ. of Chicago)
McCormick Fellow/Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant: Univ. of Chicago, 1989-199
University of South Carolina Educational Foundation Research Award, 2023
European Southern Observatory (ESO) Scientific Visitorship, 2023
Breakthrough Leadership in Research Award, University of South Carolina, 2019
Selection as Mentor for Univ. of South Carolina Propel Research Mentorship Program, 2021-present
Superior ranking in Post-tenure review in all categories (teaching, research, service), 2016, 2022
Press Release for European Southern Observatory, 2006
Interview by New Scientist magazine, 2006
William F. Lucas Junior Faculty Research Award, University of Arizona, 1997
Pre-doctoral Fellowship, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, 1992—1996
Robert R. McCormick Pre-doctoral Fellowship, University of Chicago, 1989-1992
Gold Medal for highest score in Science among approx. 80,000 students in the Maharashtra State Secondary School Certificate Examination (roughly equivalent of the SAT), India, 1983
Top rank in B. Tech. Engineering Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, 1989
National Science Talent Search Scholarship, India, 1983-1989
Extragalactic Astronomy, Observational Cosmology, Intergalactic and Circumgalactic Medium, Galaxy Evolution
Funded by NSF and NASA since 2000. Principal Investigator on 45 grants, Co-PI on 5 grants.
More than 4,800 hours awarded on top-tier telescopes (including Webb, Hubble, Spitzer, Herschel, VLT, Magellan, Keck, ALMA)
Over 220 research articles, conference proceedings, and abstracts
Over 285 research presentations at conferences and institutions in 16 countries
(The names of persons from Dr. Kulkarni's group are marked in bold font.)
The Baryonic Content of Galaxies Mapped by MaNGA and the Gas Around Them, Klimenko, V. V., Kulkarni, V. P., Wake, D. A., Poudel, S., Bershady, M. A., Péroux, C., & Lundgren, B. 2023, Astrophysical Journal, 954, 115 (43 pp.)
MUSE-ALMA Haloes IX: Morphologies and Stellar Properties of Absorption-selected Galaxies, Karki, A., Kulkarni, V. P., Weng, S., Peroux, C., Augustin, R., et al. 2023, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 524, 5524-5547
Discovery of Super-enriched Gas 1 Gyr after the Big Bang, Huyan, J., Kulkarni, V. P., Poudel, S., Tejos, N., Péroux, C., & Lopez, S. 2023, ApJL, 954, L19 (11 pp.)
MUSE-ALMA Haloes XI: gas flows in the circumgalactic medium, Weng, S., Péroux, C., Karki, A., Augustin, R., Kulkarni, V. P., Hamanowicz, A., Zwaan, M., Sadler, E. M., Nelson, D., Hayes, M., Kacprzak, G. G., Fox, A. J., Bollo, V., Casavecchia, B., & Szakacs, R. 2023, MNRAS, 523, 676-700
MUSE-ALMA Haloes VIII: Statistical Study of Circumgalactic Medium Gas, Weng, S., Peroux, C., Karki, A., Augustin, R., Kulkarni, V. P., Szakacs, R., Zwaan, M. A., Klitsch, A., Sadler, E. M., Biggs, A., Fresco, A. Y., Hayes, M., Howk, J. C., Kacprzak, G. G., Kuntschner, H., Nelson, D., & Pettini, M. 2023, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 519, 931-947
Damped Ly-alpha Absorbers in Star-forming Galaxies at z < 0.15 Detected with the Hubble Space Telescope and Implications for Galactic Evolution, Kulkarni, V. P., Bowen, D. V., Straka, L. A., York, D. G., Gupta, N., Noterdaeme, P., & Srianand, R. 2022, Astrophysical Journal, 929, 150 (28 pp.)
MUSE-ALMA haloes VII: survey science goals & design, data processing and final catalogues: Péroux, C., Weng, S., Karki, A., Augustin, R., Kulkarni, V. P., Szakacs, R, Klitsch, A., Hamanowicz, A., Fresco, A. Y., Zwaan, M. A., Biggs, A., Fox, A. J., Hayes, M., Howk, J. C., Kacprzak, G. G., Kassin, S., Kuntschner, H., Nelson, D., & Pettini, M. 2022, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 516, 5618-5636
On the Kinematics of Cold, Metal-enriched Galactic Fountain Flows in Nearby Star-forming Galaxies, Rubin, K. H. R., Juarez, C., Cooksey, K. L., Werk, J. K., Prochaska, J. X., O'Meara, J. M., Burchett, J. N., Rickards Vaught, R. J., Kulkarni, V. P., & Straka, L. A. 2022, Astrophysical Journal, 936, 171 (28 pp.)
Metals and a search for molecules in the distant Universe: Magellan MIKE observations of sub-DLAs at 2 < z < 3, Poudel, S., Kulkarni, V. P., Som, D., & Péroux, C. 2021, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 504, 731-743
Significant H I and Metal Differences around the z = 0.83 Lens Galaxy toward the Doubly Lensed Quasar SBS 0909+532, Cashman, F. H., Kulkarni, V. P., & Lopez, S. 2021, Astronomical Journal, 161, 90 (15 pp.)
Clumpiness of observed and simulated cold circumgalactic gas, Augustin, R., Péroux, C., Hamanowicz, A., Kulkarni, V., Rahmani,H., & Zanella, A. 2021, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 505, 6195-6205
The Geometry of Cold, Metal-enriched Gas around Galaxies at z ~ 1.2, Lundgren, B. F., Creech, S., Brammer, G., Kirse, N., Peek, M., Wake, D., York, D. G., Chisholm, J., Erb, D. K., Kulkarni, V. P., Straka, L., Tremonti, C., van Dokkum, P. 2021, Astrophysical Journal, 913, 50 (20 pp.)
PKS 1830-211: OH and H I at z = 0.89 and the first MeerKAT UHF spectrum, Combes, F., Gupta, N., Muller, S., Balashev, S., Jozsa, G. I. G.. Srianand, R., Momjian, E., Noterdaeme, P., Kloeckner, H. -R., Baker, A. J., Boettcher, E., Bosma, A., Chen, H. -W., Dutta, R., Jagannathan, P., Jose, J., Knowles, K., Krogager, J. -. K., Kulkarni, V. P., Moodley, K., Pandey, S., Petitjean, P., & Sekhar, S. 2021, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 648, 116 (12 pp.)
MUSE-ALMA haloes VI: Coupling Atomic, Ionised & Molecular Gas Kinematics of Galaxies, Szakacs, R., Péroux, C., Zwaan, M., Hamanowicz, A., Klitsch, A., Fresco, A. Y., Augustin, R., Biggs, A., Kulkarni, V., & Rahmani, H. 2021, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 505, 4746-4761
Element Abundances in the Gas in Galaxies over the Past >12 Gyr and the Relevant Atomic Data, Kulkarni, V. P., Poudel, S., & Cashman, F. H. 2021, in “Chemical Abundances in Gaseous Nebulae: from the Milky Way to the Early Universe”, Asociación Argentina de Astronomía Workshop Ser., M. Cardaci & G. Hägele, eds., 13 (6 pp.)
Blind HI and OH absorption line search: first results with MALS and uGMRT processed using ARTIP, Gupta, N., Jagannathan, P., Srianand, R., Bhatnagar, S., Noterdaeme, P., Combes, F., Petitjean, P., Jose, J., Pandey, S., Kaski, C., Baker, A. J., Balashev, S. A., Boettcher, E., Chen, H.-W., Cress, C., Dutta, R., Goedhart, S., Heald, G., J ́ozsa, G. I. G., Kamau, E., Kamphuis, P., Kerp, J., Kl ̈ockner, H.-R., Knowles, K., Krishnan, V., Krogager, J.-K., Kulkarni, V. P., Momjian, E., Moodley, K., Passmoor, S., Schr ̈oeder, A., Sekhar, S., Sikhosana, S., Wagenveld, J., & Wong, O. I. 2021, Astrophysical Journal, 907, 11 (24 pp.)
Metal-enriched Galaxies in the First ~1 Billion Years: Evidence of a Smooth Metallicity Evolution at z~5, Poudel, S., Kulkarni, V. P., Cashman, F. H., Frye, B., Péroux, C., Rahmani, H., & Quiret, S. 2020, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 491, 1008-1025 (18 pp.)
Erratum: MUSE-ALMA Haloes V: physical properties and environment of z < 1.4 H I quasar absorbers, Hamanowicz, A., Péroux, C., Zwaan, M. A., Rahmani, H., Pettini, M., York, D. G., Klitsch, A., Augustin, R., Krogager J.-K., Kulkarni, V. P., Fresco, A., Biggs, A. D., Milliard, B., & Vernet, J. D. R. 2020, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 493, 446
MUSE-ALMA Haloes V: physical properties and environment of z £ 1.4 H I quasar absorbers, Hamanowicz, A., Péroux, C., Zwaan, M. A., Rahmani, H., Pettini, M., York, D. G., Klitsch, A., Augustin, R., Krogager J.-K., Kulkarni, V. P., Fresco, A., Biggs, A. D., Milliard, B., & Vernet, J. D. R. 2020, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 492, 2347-2368
Probing Structure in Cold Gas at z <~1 with Gravitationally Lensed Quasar Sight Lines, Kulkarni, V. P., Cashman, F. H., Lopez, S., Ellison, S. L., Som, D., Maureira, M. J. 2019, Astrophysical Journal, 886, 83 (26 pp.)
Multi-phase Circum-Galactic Medium probed with MUSE and ALMA, Péroux, C., Zwaan, M. A., Klitsch, A., Augustin, R., Hamanowicz, A., Rahmani, H., Pettini, M., Kulkarni, V., Straka, L. A., Biggs, A. O., York D. G., Milliard, B. 2019, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 485, 1595-1613
A High Signal-to-Noise HST Spectrum Toward J1009+0713: Precise Absorption Measurements in the CGM of Two Galaxies, Lochhaas, C, Mathur, S., Frank, S., Krongold, Y., Kulkarni, V., Weinberg, D. H., Nicastro, F., & Gupta, A. 2019, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 489, 78-98
A NASA-led US Contribution to the ESA/JAXA SPICA Mission: Unveiling the Dust-obscured Universe, Cooray, A., Bradford, C., Ressler, M., Appleton, P., Armus, L., Battersby, C., Bergin, T., Bolatto, A., Casey, C., Chary, R-R., Chen, C., Dale, D., Dowell, D., Dwek, E., Egami, E., Farrah, D., Ferkinhoff, C., Goldsmith, P., Gorti, U., Helmich, F., Helou, G., Hull, C. L. H., Kulkarni, V. P., MacGregor, M., Malkan, M., Murphy, E., Pontoppidan, K., Pope, A., Rieke, G., Sajina, A., Smith, J. D., Spinoglio, L., Stacey, G., Staguhn, J., Su, K., Trangsrud, A., Temi, P., & Werner, M. 2019, Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, APC white papers, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 51, 87 (11 pp.)
Atomic data for astrophysics: Needs and challenges, Nave, G., Barklem, P., Belmonte, M. T., Brickhouse, N., Butler, P., Cashman, F., Chatzikos, M., Cowley, C. R., Hartog, E. D., Federman, S., Ferland, G., Fogle, M., Hartman, H., Guzman, F., Heap, S., Kerber, F., Kramida, A., Kulkarni, V. P., Lawler, J. E., Marler, J., Nahar, S., Pickering, J., Quinet, P., Ralchenko, Y., Savin, D., Sneden, C., Takacs, E., Wahlgren, G., Webb, J., Wiseman, J., Wood, M. 2019, Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, APC white papers, no. 1; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 51, 7, 1 (14 pp.)
Spatially Resolved Observations of the Ultraviolet Attenuation Curve, Hagen, L., Holwerda, B. W., Bridge, J., Jacques, A., Keel, B., Kulkarni, V., Moffett, A., Roman-Duval 2019, J. Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, APC white papers, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 51, 3, 536 (9 pp.)
Early metal enrichment of gas-rich galaxies at z ˜ 5, Poudel, S., Kulkarni, V. P., Morrison, S., Péroux, C., Som, D., Rahmani, H., & Quiret, S. 2018, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 473, pp. 3559-3572 (14 pp.)
A Lyman limit system associated with galactic winds, Rahmani, H., Péroux, C., Schroetter, I., Augustin, R., Bouché, N., Krogager, J-K., Kulkarni, V. P., Milliard, B., Møller, P., Pettini, M., Vernet, J., & York, D. G. 2018, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 480, pp. 5046-5059
X-shooting GRBs at high redshift: probing dust production history, Zafar, T., Møller, P.; Watson, D.; Lattanzio, J.; Hopkins, A. M.; Karakas, A.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Tanvir, N. R.; Selsing, J.; Jakobsson, P.; Heintz, K. E., Kann, D. A., Groves, B., Kulkarni, V., Covino, S. D, Elia, V., Japelj, J., Corre, D., Vergani, S. 2018, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 480, pp. 108-118
Observational signatures of a warped disk associated with cold-flow accretion, Rahmani, H., Péroux, C., Augustin, R., Husemann, B., Kacprzak, G., Kulkarni, V., Milliard, B., Møller, P., Pettini, M., & Straka, L. 2018, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 474, pp. 254-270
Characterising the Circum-Galactic Medium of Damped Lyman-alpha Absorbing Galaxies, Augustin, R., Péroux. C. Møller, P., Kulkarni, V., Rahmani, H., Milliard, B., Pieri, M., York, D. G., Vladilo, G., Aller, M., Zwaan, M. 2018, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 478, pp. 3120-3132
Atomic Data Revisions for Transitions Relevant to Observations of Interstellar, Circumgalactic, and Intergalactic Matter, Cashman, F. H., Kulkarni, V. P., Kisielius, R., Ferland, G. J., & Bogdanovich, P. 2017, Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 230, 8 (9 pp.)
Nature of the absorbing gas associated with a galaxy group at z ~ 0.4, Péroux, C., Rahmani, H., Quiret, S., Pettini, M., Kulkarni, V., York, D. G., Straka, L., Husemann, B., & Milliard, B. 2017, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 464, pp. 2053-2065
The MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS),Gupta, N., Srianand, R., Baan, W., Baker, A., Beswick, R., Bhatnagar, S., Bhattacharya, D., Bosma, A., Carilli, C., Cluver, M., Combes, F., Cress, C., Dutta, R.,Fynbo, J., Heald, G., Hilton, M., Hussain, T., Jarvis, M., Jozsa, G., Kamphuis, P., Kembhavi, A., Kerp. J., Klöckner, H.-R., Krogager, J., Kulkarni, V., Ledoux, C., Mahabal, A., Mauch. T., Moodley, K., Momjian. E., Morganti. R., Noterdaeme, P., Oosterloo, T., Petitjean, P., Schröder, A., Serra, P., Sievers, J., Spekkens, K. , Väisänen, P., van der Hulst, T., Vivek, M., Wang, J., Wong, O. I., & Zungu. A R. 2016, Proceedings of Science, "MeerKAT Science: On the Pathway to the SKA" (16 pp).
Probing the Interstellar Dust in Galaxies over >10 Gyr of Cosmic History, Kulkarni, V. P., Aller, M. C., York, D. G., Welty, D. E., Vladilo, G., & Som, D. 2016, Planetary and Space Science, 133, pp. 7-13 (invited review article)
Element Abundances in a Gas-rich Galaxy at z = 5: Clues to the Early Chemical Enrichment of Galaxies, Morrison, S., Kulkarni, V. P., Som, D., DeMarcy, B., Quiret, S., & Péroux, C. 2016, Astrophysical Journal, 830, 158 (13 pp.)
A study of the circumgalactic medium at z ˜ 0.6 using damped Lyman α galaxies, Rahmani, Hadi; Péroux, C., Turnshek, D. A., Rao, S. M., Quiret, S., Hamilton, T. S., Kulkarni, V. P., Monier, E. M., & Zafar, T. 2016, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 463, pp. 980-1007
The ESO UVES advanced data products quasar sample - VI. Sub-damped Lyman α metallicity measurements and the circumgalactic medium, Quiret, S., Péroux, C., Zafar, T., Kulkarni, V. P., Jenkins, E. B., Milliard, B., Rahmani, H., Popping, A., Rao, S. M.,Turnshek, D. A., & Monier, E. M. 2016, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 458, pp. 4074-4121
A SINFONI integral field spectroscopy survey for galaxy counterparts to damped Lyman α systems - VI. Metallicity and geometry as gas flow probes, Péroux, C., Quiret, S., Rahmani, H., Kulkarni, V. P., Epinat, B., Milliard, B., Straka, L. A., York, D. G., Rahmati, A., & Contini, T. 2016, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 457, pp. 903-916
Magellan LDSS3 emission confirmation of galaxies hosting metal-rich Lyman α absorption systems, Straka, L. A., Johnson, S., York, D. G., Bowen, D. V., Florian, M., Kulkarni, V. P., Lundgren, B., & Péroux, C. 2016, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 458, pp. 3760-3772
Keck and VLT Observations of Super-Damped Lyman-Alpha Absorbers at z~ 2- 2.5: Constraints on Chemical Compositions and Physical Conditions, Kulkarni, V. P., Som, D., Morrison, S., Péroux, C., Quiret, S., & York, D. G. 2015, Astrophysical Journal, 815, 24 (15 pp.)
Hubble Space Telescope Observations of Sub-Damped Lyman-alpha Absorbers at z < 0.5, and Implications for Galaxy Chemical Evolution, Som, D., Kulkarni, V. P., Meiring, J., York, D. G., , Péroux, C., Lauroesch, J. T., Aller, M. C., & Khare, P. 2015,, Astrophys. J., 806, 25 (22 pp.)
Atomic Data for Zn II: Improving Spectral Diagnostics of Chemical Evolution in High-redshift Galaxies, Kisielius, R., Kulkarni, V. P., Ferland, G. J., Bogdanovich, P., Som, D., & Lykins, M. L. 2015, Astrophys. J., 804, 76 (10 pp.)
Galactic nebular lines in the fibre spectra of background QSOs: reaching a hundred QSO-galaxy pairs with spectroscopic and photometric measurements, Straka, L. A., Noterdaeme, P., Srianand, R., Nutalaya, S., Kulkarni, V. P., Khare, P., Bowen, D., Bishof, M., & York, D. G. 2015, Monthly Not. Royal Astron. Soc., 447, 3856-3872
Interstellar Silicate Dust in the z=0.685 Absorber Toward TXS 0218+357, Aller, M. C., Kulkarni, V. P., York, D. G., Welty, D. E., Vladilo, G., & Liger, N. 2014, Astrophys. J., 785, 36 (16 pp.)
A SINFONI Integral Field Spectroscopy Survey for Galaxy Counterparts to Damped Lyman-alpha Systems V. Neutral and Ionized-phase Metallicities, Péroux, C, Kulkarni, V. P., & York, D. G. 2014, Monthly Not. Royal Astron. Soc., 437, 3144-3158
Atomic Data for S II—Toward Better Diagnostics of Chemical Evolution in High-redshift Galaxies, Kisielius, R., Kulkarni, V. P., Ferland, G. J., Bogdanovich, P., & Lykins, M. L. 2014, Astrophys. J., 780, 76 (11 pp.)
Galaxies with background QSOs - II. An automated search for multiple galaxy emission lines, Straka, L. A., Whichard, Z. L., Kulkarni, V. P., Bishof, M., Bowen, D., Khare, P., & York, D. G. 2013, Monthly Not. Royal Astron. Soc., 436, 3200-3223
A SINFONI Integral Field Spectroscopy Survey for Galaxy Counterparts to Damped Lyman-alpha Systems IV. Masses and Gas Flows, Péroux, C., Bouché, N., Kulkarni, V. P., & York, D. G. 2013, Monthly Not. Royal Astron. Soc., 436, 2650-2665
A Mini X-ray Survey of Sub-DLAs: Searching for AGNs formed in Protogalaxies, Chartas, G., Kulkarni, V. P., & Asper, A. 2013, Astrophys. J., 775, 119 (7 pp.)
Element Abundances at high redshift: MIKE observations of sub-damped Lyman-a absorbers at 1.7 < z < 2.4, Som, D., Kulkarni, V. P., Meiring, J., York, D. G., Péroux, C., Khare, P., & Lauroesch, J. T. 2013, Monthly Not. Royal Astron. Soc., 435, 1469-1485
Educated about 9,600 undergraduate and graduate students in Physics/Astronomy.
Started and maintained the Astronomy Minor program at USC (teaching all upper-level classes for this program)
Peer Reviews of Teaching: Excellent (Spring 2022, Spring 2018, Spring 2014, Fall 2009)
Student Evaluations: 4.63 out of 5 median score for all in-person classes since 2014
SCHC 115, 116 (Honors Introductory Astronomy)
ASTR 111,211, 311 (Descriptive Astronomy I, II, III)
ASTR 475, 533, 534 (Upper-level Undergraduate Observational Astronomy/Data Analysis Techniques)
ASTR 599 (Upper-level Undergraduate Extragalactic Astronomy)
PHYS 202, 208 (Introductory Physics)
PHYS 546 (Introduction to Astrophysics)
PHYS 731 (Graduate-level Extragalactic Astrophysics)
PHYS 746 (Principles of Astrophysics)
PHYS 755A (Graduate-level Physics of Interstellar and Intergalactic Matter)
PHYS 755G (Graduate-level Properties and Evolution of Galaxies)
Since 2000: 29 graduate and 46 undergraduate students supervised.
Since 2008: 6 PhD and 2 MS graduates supervised to completion.
USC Faculty Welfare Committee (Committee Chair, 2011-2012)
USC Faculty Budget Committee (Committee Chair, 2013-2014)
USC Committee on Tenure & Promotion (as Member and Panel Chair) 2020-present
USC Tenure Review Board
USC Committee on Honorary Degrees
USC Committee on Professional Conduct
USC Faculty/Board of Trustees Liaison Committee
USC Committee on Libraries
USC College of Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee (Chair/Co-chair of Faculty Recruitment, Retention & Advancement Subcommittee)
Faculty Senator 2005-2008
Department
Interim Chair, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Univ. of South Carolina, 2012-2013
Instigated first NSF-funded REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program in the Department
Helped secure, and managed US Dept. of Education-funded GAANN (Graduate Assistance in Areas
of National Need) program for recruiting minority/women graduate students
Graduate Admissions & Recruiting Committee (as Member and Chair)
Astronomy Committee (as Member and Chair)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee (as Founder and Chair)
Professional
Invited member, NASA Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group Executive Committee (2024-2027)
Invited Chair/Co-chair, NASA Infrared Telescope Facility/Keck Users Group 2021-2024
Invited Member, Laboratory Astrophysics Task Force for NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Advisory Committee 2023-2024
President, Southern Atlantic Coast Section of American Assoc. of Physics Teachers, 2012-2013
Vice-President, Southern Atlantic Coast Section American Assoc. of Physics Teachers, 2011-12
Founder and organizer of annual Meetings of Astronomers in South Carolina
Reviewer of numerous proposals for national and international funding agencies (NASA, NSF, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, Science Foundation of Ireland, etc.)
Reviewer of numerous papers for leading national/international Astronomy/Astrophysics Journals
Invited external reviewer for tenure/promotion packages at many major US research universities
Invited external examiner on PhD committees at international institutions (France, Denmark, India)
Research advisor for NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, NASA/ MUSPIN's Undergraduate Research Program in Astrophysics for nationally selected minority students (with South Carolina State University)
Session chair, judge, and panel discussion member at US and international conferences
Advisory Committee, South Carolina State Museum Observatory-Planetarium project
Invited Judge for National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, 2021
Popular lectures / observing sessions for K-12 schools, local science clubs, and general public.
Science Fair judge; Volunteer for Astronomy Day; Interviews for local publications/TV stations
Extensive Outreach: Speaker, organizer for public events at schools/organization in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Numerous media interviews (newspapers, radio, TV). Lead organizer for 2017 solar eclipse events on campus for >5000 visitors. Work with K-12 STEM teachers. Judge for Central South Carolina Science & Engineering Fair.
Research supervisor for students from several high schools in South Carolina--AC Flora High School, Dreher High School, Dutch Fork High School, Lugoff-Elgin High School, SC Governor’s School for Science & Math (2017 onward)