NASA GSFC

Supervisor: Dr. George Sonneborn

I am investigating how different galaxy properties, particularly metallicity, affect dust production in Asymptotic Giant Branch stars by observing AGB stars in Local Group dwarf galaxies, globular clusters, M31, and the Magellanic Clouds.

STScI

Supervisor: Dr. Karl Gordon

I worked with Spitzer SAGE data of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds to understand evolved stars. Specifically, I am studied mass loss and dust production in Asymptotic Giant Branch stars.

University of Minnesota

Advisors: Dr. Bob Gehrz, Dr. Evan Skillman, & Dr. Charles Woodward

My work involved the study of mass-loss from evolved stellar populations in clusters and dwarf galaxies. I work primarily with Spitzer data at mid- to far-infrared wavelengths, allowing me identify warm dusty winds in the atmospheres of AGB stars. This work was part of my Ph.D. thesis.

University of Minnesota

Advisor: Dr. Charles Woodward

I researched and tested various methods of reduction and analysis of Spitzer IRAC data and wrote a "cookbook" for Spitzer researchers in our group that details the useful reduction procedures. This work was the subject of my undergraduate senior thesis.

3M

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Weber

I tested the transmission qualities of multilayer thin films and the effects on the transmission after applying experimental adhesive and PVC layers on either side of the filter, and I performed tensile strength tests on the adhesives. I also did statistical analyses of these results and of the results from other tests performed by various laboratory aides.

Arecibo Observatory

Advisor: Dr. Yashwant Gupta

I studied the arrival times of the pulse components of several pulsars to determine if different componentents originated from different heights in the pulsar magnetosphere. This research was part of a summer REU program.

University of Georgia

Advisor: Dr. J. Scott Shaw

I obtained optical data of galactic open star clusters for two epochs at the SARA 0.9m telescope on Kitt Peak and compared photometry to previous epochs. The goal was to discover variable stars in these clusters. This work was part of a summer REU program.

Loyola University

Supervisor: Dr. Randall Jones

I teach introductory Astronomy course lecture for non-majors.

Towson University

Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Scott

Project Astro teams a professional astronomer up with a teacher and classroom during the school year. I am teamed with middle school teacher Adren Thompson of Rising Star Academy in Baltimore city, and have been visiting her class since 2009.

Towson University

Supervisor: Dr. Alex Storrs

I taught a lab for an introductory Astronomy course lecture for non-majors.

University of Minnesota

Supervisor: Dr. Liliya Williams

I taught one of the summer 2008 lectures for an introductory Astronomy course.

University of Minnesota

Supervisor: Dr. Evan Skillman

I helped supervise/advise an undergraduate student. Her project involved modeling AGB star outflows to determine the compositions and mass-loss rates.

University of Minnesota

Supervisor: Dr. Liliya Williams

I organized and participated in astronomy outreach events for schools, camps, churches, boy/girl scouts, etc. These events usually involve a presentation on a popular astronomy topic and sometimes include telescope viewing and/or demonstrations. For a list of the events that I volunteered for, see my events page.

University of Minnesota

Supervisor: Dr. Evan Skillman

I participated in this outreach program every summer while in graduate school, for which I traveled to Minnesota state parks every weekend to give a short presentation and do telescope viewing away from the city lights.

University of Minnesota

Supervisor: Dr. Liliya Williams

I taught two lab sections for this introductory astronomy course for the fall semester of 2006.

University of Minnesota

Instructor: Dr. Bill Rozaitis

I took this course in the spring of 2006. It is designed to prepare graduate students for teaching positions in higher education. From this course, I learned teaching skills and also had the opportunity to practice various teaching styles and techniques.

University of Minnesota

Dr. Alexander Grosberg

I taught two sections of lab and discussion sessions for this introductory physics course.

NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program (ADAP), PI

Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3, PI

Hubble Space Telescope/ACS,WFC3, Co-I

Herschel Space Observatory/PACS, PI

Spitzer Space Telescope/IRAC, PI

Spitzer Space Telescope/IRAC, Co-I

Spitzer Space Telescope/IRAC, Co-I

AAT/AAOmega, PI

Spitzer Space Telescope/IRAC, Co-I

Large Binocular Telescope/LUCIFER Science Demonstration, Co-I and Technical Contact

Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3, Co-I

Spitzer Space Telescope/IRS, Co-I

Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3, Co-I and Technical Contact

Spitzer Space Telescope/MIPS, Co-I

Spitzer Space Telescope/IRAC+MIPS, Co-I

I have designed observations of AGB stars in M31 with the WFC3 camera.

I have designed observations of the intercluster dust in M15 using the PACS instrument.

I have designed observations of AGB stars in the SMC with the AAOmega multi-fiber spectrograph.

I have observed dwarf galaxies, supernovae remnants and young stellar objects with the WHIRC camera, a near-infrared imager.

I designed observations of Local Group dwarf galaxies for Science Demonstration time for the LUCIFER instrument.

I have observed stars in Omega Centauri and M15 with an optical spectrometer (MIKE).

I have planned the phase II observations for the T-ReCS optical spectrometer.

I have experience planning observations with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and the Multiband Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) and the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS), which are on board Spitzer. I also have extensive experience reducing and analyzing data from these instruments.

I have experience using a University of Minnesota instrument called Optipol (an optical polarimeter) on our 60-inch, f/15 Cassegrain telescope on Mt. Lemmon. I also perform various maintenance and troubleshooting on the telescope including shut-down and start-up runs at the beginning and end of the monsoon season.

This is a University of Minnesota 30-inch, f/10 cassegrain telescope in Marine-on-St. croix, MN, on which I have used an optical CCD imager.

Astrophysical Journal (ApJ), Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A), Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (PASP), and The Swedish National Space Board (SNSB)

I served on the SOC for this workshop, which took place at STScI in March 2012.

I am serving as the post-doc representative on the committee for the HotSci/CoolSci talk series at STScI.

I have served in various Focus Groups at STScI regarding the science atmosphere at the institute.

I served as the graduate student representative on the internal committee during the external review of the Astronomy Department at the University of Minnesota. I also contribed to the report submitted to the External Review Committee.

06/2012: Review of AGB evolution and dust production.

06/2012: Dust production in the Magellanic Clouds.

06/2012: Dust production in the Magellanic Clouds.

06/2012: Dust production in the Magellanic Clouds.

04/2012: Dust production in the Magellanic Clouds.

03/2012: Dust production in the Magellanic Clouds.

08/2011: Discussed stellar dust return in the SMC.

10/2010: Discussed dust production in the Magellanic Clouds.

08/2010: Discussed AGB stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

07/2010: Discussed AGB stars as probes of the SMC environment.

05/2010: Discussed the evolved star preliminary results of the HERITAGE Herschel program.

04/2009: I presented my thesis work on evolved stars in Local Group dwarf galaxies and globular clusters. (60 min)

07/2009: I presented my thesis work on evolved stars in Local Group dwarf galaxies and globular clusters. (30 min)

• The Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury
  Dalcanton, J. J., Williams, B. F., Lang, D., Lauer, T. R., Kalirai, J. S., Seth, A. C., Dolphin, A., Rosenfield, P., Weisz, D. R., Bell, E. F., Bianchi, L, C., Boyer, M. L., et al., 2012, ApJS, 200, 18
• The Contribution of TP-AGB and RHeB Stars to the Near-IR Luminosity of Local Galaxies: Implications for Stellar Mass Measurements of High-redshift Galaxies
  Melbourne, J., Williams, B. F., Dalcanton, J. J., Rosenfield, P., Girardi, L., Marigo, P., Weisz, D., Dolphin, A., Boyer, M. L., Olsen, K., Skillman, E., & Seth, A. C., 2012, ApJ, 748, 47
• The Dust Budget of the Small Magellanic Cloud: Are Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars the Primary Dust Source at Low Metallicity?
  Boyer, M. L., Srinivasan, S., et al., 2012, ApJ, 748, 40
• Resolved Near-infrared Stellar Populations in Nearby Galaxies
  Dalcanton, J. J., Williams, B. F., Melbourne, J. L., Girardi, L., Dolphin, A., Rosenfield, P. A., Boyer, M. L., et al., 2012, ApJS, 198, 6
• Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Tidally Stripped, Low Metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud (SAGE-SMC) II. Cool Evolved Stars
  Boyer, M. L., Srinivasan, S., et al., 2011, AJ, 142, 103
• Spitzer Spectra of Evolved Stars in omega Centauri and Their Low-Metallicity Dust Production
  McDonald, I., van Loon, J. Th., Sloan, G. C., Dupree, A. K., Zijlstra, A., Boyer, M. L., et al., 2011, MNRAS, 417, 20
• Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Tidally Stripped, Low Metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud (SAGE-SMC) I. Overview
  Gordon, K. D., Meixner, M., Meade, M. R., Whitney, B., Engelbracht, C., Bot, C., Boyer, M. L., et al., 2011, AJ, 142, 102
• A Population of Accreted Small Magellanic Cloud Stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud
  Olsen, K. A. G., Zaritsky, D., Blum, R. D., Boyer, M. L., & Gordon, K. D., ApJ, 737, 29
• Fundamental Parameters, Integrated RGB Mass Loss and Dust Production in the Galactic Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae
  McDonald, I., Boyer, M. L., van Loon, J. Th., et al., 2011, ApJS, 193, 23
• Dust Production and Mass Loss in the Galactic Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae
  McDonald, I., Boyer, M. L., van Loon, J. Th., & Zijlstra, A., 2011, ApJ, 730, 71
• The SAGE-Spec Spitzer Legacy Program: The life-cycle of dust and gas in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Point Source Classification I.
  Woods., P. M., Oliveira, J. M., Kemper, F., van Loon, J. Th., Sargent, B. A., Matsuura, M., Szczerba, R., Volk, K., Zijlstra, A. A., Sloan, G. C., Lagadec, E., McDonald, I., Jones, O., Gorjian, V., Kraemer, K. E., Gielen, C., MEixner, M., Blum, R. D., Sewilo, M., Riebel, D., Shiao, B., Chen, C. -H. R., Boyer, M. L., et al. 2011, MNRAS, 411, 1597
• The ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury IX. Constraining Asymptotic Giant Branch Evolution With Old Metal-Poor Galaxies
  Girardi, L., Williams, B., Gilbert, K., Rosenfield, P., Dalcanton, J., Marigo, P., Boyer, M. L., et al. 2010, ApJ, 724, 1030
• Herschel Observations of a Newly Discovered UX Ori Star in the Large Magellanic Cloud
  Clayton, G. C., Sargent, B., Boyer, M. L., et al. 2010, ApJ, 722, 1131
• Discovery of Long-Period Variable Stars in the Very-Metal-Poor Globular Cluster M15
  McDonald, I., van Loon, J. Th., Dupree, A. K., and Boyer, M. L. 2009, MNRAS, 405, 1711
• Cold Dust in Three Massive Evolved Stars in the LMC
  Boyer, M. L., Sargent, B., van Loon, J. Th., Srinivasan, S., and the Herschel HERITAGE team 2010, A&A, 518, L142
• HERschel Inventory of the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (HERITAGE): The Large Magellanic Cloud
  Meixner, M., Galliano, F., Hony, S., Roman-Duval, J., Robitaille, T., Panuzzo, P., Sauvage, M., Gordon, K., Engelbracht, C., Missselt, K., Okumura, K., Beck,, T., Bernard, J.-P., Bollatto, A., Bot, C., Boyer, M. L., et al. 2010, A&A, 518, L71
• The SAGE-Spec Spitzer Legacy Program: The Life Cycle of Dust and Gas in the Large Magellanic Cloud
  Kemper, F., Woods, Paul M., Antoniou, V., Bernard, J.-P., Blum, R. D., Boyer, M. L., et al. 2010, PASP, 122, 638
• Is Dust Forming on the Red Giant Branch in 47 Tuc?
  Boyer, M. L., van Loon, J. Th., McDonald, I., Gordon, K. D., and the Spitzer Sage-SMC team 2009, ApJL, 711, L99
• A Spitzer Space Telescope Far-Infrared Spectral Atlas of Compact Sources in the Magellanic Clouds. I. The Large Magellanic Cloud
  van Loon, J. Th., Oliveira, J. M, Gordon K. D., Meixner, M., Shiao, B., Boyer, M. L., and the Spitzer Sage-SMC team 2010, Ap, 139, 68
• Ice Chemistry in Embedded Young Stellar Objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud
  Oliveira, J. M, van Loon, J. Th., Chen, C.-H. R., Tielens, A. G. G. M., Sloan, G. C., Woods, P. M., Kemper, F., Indebetouw, R., Gordon K. D., Boyer, M. L., and the Spitzer Sage-SMC team 2009, ApJ, 707, 1269
• Dust Production and Mass Loss in the Galactic Globular Cluster NGC 362
  Boyer, M. L., McDonald, I., van Loon, J. Th., Gordon, K. D., and the Spitzer Sage-SMC team 2009, ApJ, 705, 746
• A Spitzer Survey of Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars III. Dust Production and Gas Return in Local Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxies
  Boyer, M. L., Skillman, E. D., van Loon, J. Th., Gehrz, R. D., Woodward, C. E. 2009, ApJ, 697, 1993
• Giants in the Globular Cluster Omega Cen: dust production, mass loss, and distance
  McDonald, I., van Loon, J. Th., Decin, L., Boyer, M. L., Dupree, A., Evans, A., Gehrz, R. D., Woodward, C. E. 2009, MNRAS, 394, 831
• A Spitzer search for cold dust within globular clusters
  Barmby, P., Boyer, M. L., Woodward, C. E., Gehrz, R. D., van Loon, J. Th., Fazio, G. G., Marengo, M., Polomski, E. 2009, AJ, 137, 207
• Spitzer Space Telescope Evidence in NGC 6791: No Super-Solar-Mass-Loss at Super-Solar Metallicity to Explain Helium White Dwarfs?
  van Loon, J. Th., Boyer, M. L., McDonald, I. 2008, ApJL, 680, L49
• A Spitzer Space Telescope Atlas of omega Centauri: the Stellar Population, Mass Loss, and the Intracluster Medium.
  Boyer, M. L., McDonald, I., van Loon, J. Th., Woodward, C. E., Gehrz, R. D., Evans, A., & Dupree, A. K. 2008, AJ, 135, 1395
• A Spectral Atlas of Post-Main-Sequence Stars in omega Centauri: Kinematics, Evolution, Enrichment, and the Interstellar Medium
  van Loon, J. Th., van Leeuwen, F., Smalley, G., Smith, A. W., Lyons, N. A., McDonald, I., & Boyer, M. L. 2007, MNRAS, 382, 1353
• Stellar Populations and Mass-Loss in M15: A Spitzer Space Telescope Detection of Dust in the Intracluster Medium
  Boyer, M. L., Woodward, C. E., van Loon, J. Th., Gordon, K.D., Evans, A., Gehrz, R. D., Helton, L. A., & Polomski, E. F. 2006, AJ, 132, 1415
• The First 8-13 micron Spectra of Globular Cluster Red Giants: Circumstellar Silicate Dust Grains in 47 Tucanae
  van Loon, J. Th., McDonald, I., Oliveira, J. M., Evans, A., Boyer, M. L., Gehrz, R. D., Polomski, E., & Woodward, C. E. 2006, A&A, 450, 339
• Spitzer IRAC Observations of Star Formation in N159 in the Large Magellanic Cloud
  Jones, T. J., Woodward, C. E., Boyer, M. L., Gehrz, R. D., & Polomski, E. 2005, ApJ, 620, 731
• The Everchanging Pulsating White Dwarf GD358
  Kepler, S. O. et al. 2003, A&A, 401, 639
• WET Observations of GD358 in 2000
  Kepler, S. O. et al. 2003, BaltA, 12 45

• A Complete Census of Dusty Evolved Stars in Local Group Dwarf Galaxies with Spitzer: Description and First Results
  Boyer, M. L., et al., American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 219, #244.16
• Studies of Evolved Star Mass Loss: GRAMS Modeling of Red Supergiants and Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars in the Magellanic Clouds
  Sargent, B., A., Srinivasan, S., Riebel, D., Boyer, M. L., & Meixner, M., American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 219, #407.04
• Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars in the Magellanic Clouds: Dust Production and Mass Return
  Boyer, M. L., and the SAGE-SMC Legacy team 2011, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 217, #154.04
• AGB Stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud
  Boyer, M. L., Srinivasan, S., et al. 2010, Conference Proceedings: Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars II, Vienna, Austria, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, 445, 473
• A Spitzer SAGE Overview of Evolved Stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud
  Boyer, M. L., and the SAGE-SMC Legacy team 2010, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 215, #459.04;
• Metallicity, Pulsation, and Mass Loss in Globular Cluster Low-Mass AGB Stars
  McDonald, I., van Loon, J. Th., Boyer, M. L. 2009, American Institute of Physics Conference Series, 1094, 876
• A Spitzer IRAC Census of the Asymptotic Giant Branch Populations in Local Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxies
  Boyer, M. L., Skillman, E. D., van Loon, J. Th., Jackson, D. C., Gehrz, R. D. 2008, Chemical Evolution of Dwarf Galaxies and Stellar Clusters: Garching bei Munchen, Germany, and IAU Symposium 256: The Magellanic System: Stars, Gas, and Galaxies: Keele University, UK
• The Elusive Intracluster Medium in Globular Clusters
  Barmby, P., Marengo, M., van Loon, J. Th., Polomski, E., Fazio, G., Gehrz, R. D., Woodward, C. E., and Boyer, M. L. 2008, 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, 37, 191
• A Spitzer Space Telescope Atlas of omega Centauri: The Stellar Population, Mass Loss, and the Intracluster Medium
  Boyer, M. L., McDonald, I., van Loon, J. Th., Woodward, C. E., Gehrz, R. D., Evans, A., Dupree, A. K. 2007, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 211, #58.07
• Spitzer Observations of Galactic Globular Clusters
  Barmby, P., Boyer, M. L., Bono, G., Ferraro, I., Marengo, M. 2006, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 209, #26.12
• Multi-Epoch Imaging and Spectroscopy of M33
  Polomski, E., Gehrz, R. D., Woodward, C. E., Humphreys, R., M., Boyer, M. L., et al. 2006, The Spitzer Space Telescope: New Views of the Cosmos ASP Conference Series, 357, 196
• Mass-Loss from the Evolved Stellar Populations in M15
  Boyer, M. L., Woodward, C. E., van Loon, J. Th., Polomski, E., Gehrz, R. D., Evans, A., Gordon, K. 2005, BAAS, 37, 488
• Spitzer Images and Spectroscopy of M33
  Gehrz, R. D., Polomski, E., Woodward, C. E., McQuinn, K., Boyer, M. L., et al. 2005, BAAS, 37, 451
• Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC Imagery of Omega Centauri
  Boyer, M. L., Woodward, C. E., Gehrz, R. D., Polomski, E., van Loon, J. Th., Evans, A. 2004, BAAS, 36, 1382
• Spitzer Observations of Star Formation in N159 in the LMC
  Jones, T. J., Woodward, C. E., Boyer, M. L., Gehrz, R. D., Polomski, E. 2004, BAAS, 36, 1493
• Spitzer Observations of SN 1987A
  Polomski, E., Gehrz, R. D., Woodward, C. E., Boyer, M. L., Roellig, T. L. 2004, BAAS, 36, 1466
• A Study of the Pulsar Emission Region at Multiple Frequencies
  Boyer, M. L., Gupta, Y. 2002, BAAS, 34, 1298