Curriculum Vita

Christopher Palma

Pennsylvania State University, Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
525 Davey Laboratory
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 863-6091
cpalma@astro.psu.edu

Education:

Ph.D., Astronomy
The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 2001
"Evidence for Tidal Disruption Induced Substructure in the Outer Halo of the Milky Way Galaxy"
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Steven R. Majewski

M.A., Astronomy
The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 1997

B.S., Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 1994

Teaching Experience:

Astronomy Lecturer for Summer Transition Program, University of Virginia, summer 1999
Astronomy Tutor for Student-Athletes, University of Virginia, 1998 - present
Head Grader, University of Virginia, 1997 - 1999
Grader, Introductory Astronomy, University of Virginia, 1995 - 1997
Head Teaching Assistant, University of Virginia, 1996 - 1997
Instructor, Introduction to Cosmology, University of Virginia, summer 1996
Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Virginia, 1995 - 1996

Research Experience:

Postdoctoral Scholar, Pennsylvania State University, 2001 - present
Research Assistant, University of Virginia, 1995 - 2001
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Pennsylvania State University, 1993 - 1995
Undergraduate Research Assistant, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, summer 1994

Honors/Recognitions:

University of Virginia Z Society Shannon Award, 2001
Election to University of Virginia Raven Society, 2000
University of Virginia Dean's Fellowship, 1999-2000
Recipient of a Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research, 1998
University of Virginia DuPont Graduate Fellowship, 1997-1998
University of Virginia Dean's Fellowship, 1997-1998
University of Virginia Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, 1997

Professional Societies/Committee Service:

Member, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, 1994 - present
Member, American Astronomical Society, 1997 - present
Member, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 1995 - present
Graduate Admissions Committee, Dept. of Astronomy, University of Virginia, 1997 - 1998
Observatory Committee, Dept. of Astronomy, University of Virginia, 1997 - present
Telescope Project Committee, Dept. of Astronomy, University of Virginia, 1997 - present,
President, UVa Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Council 1999 - present
Member, UVa Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Council 1998 - 1999

Refereed Publications

On the Distribution of Orbital Poles of Milky Way Satellites, Palma, C., Majewski, S. R., & Johnston, K. V. 2002, ApJ, in press

An Ultraviolet/Optical Atlas of Bright Galaxies, Marcum, P. M. et al., including Palma, C. 2001, ApJS, 132, 129

Spectroscopy of Giant Stars in the Pyxis Globular Cluster, Palma, C., Kunkel, W. E., & Majewski, S. R. 2000, PASP, 112, 1622

Multiwavelength Observations of the Second Largest Known FR II Radio Galaxy, NVSS 2146+82, Palma, C., Bauer, F. E., Cotton, W. D., Bridle, A. H., Majewski, S. R., & Sarazin, C. L. 2000, AJ, 119, 2068

Starcounts Redivivus: III. A Possible Detection of the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy at b=-40 Degrees , Majewski. S. R., Siegel, M. H., Kunkel, W. E., Reid, I. N., Johnston, K. V., Thompson, I. B., Landolt, A. U., & Palma, C. 1999, AJ, 118, 1709

Multiwavelength Monitoring of the BL Lacertae Object PKS 2155-304 in 1994 May: I. The Ground-Based Campaign, Pesce, J. E. et al., including Palma, C. 1997, ApJ 486, 770

Radio Constraints on Relativistic Beaming Models of BL Lacertae Objects, Kollgaard, R. I., Palma, C., Laurent-Muehleisen, S. A., and Feigelson, E. D. 1996, ApJ 465, 115

Other Publications

A Washington Photometric Survey of the Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy, Palma, C., Majewski, S. R., Siegel, M. H., & Patterson, R. J. 2001, BAAS, 197, 78.08

The Radial Velocity of The Pyxis Globular Cluster, Palma, C., Kunkel, W. E., & Majewski, S. R. 2000, BAAS, 195, 3.17

Omega Centauri: Nucleus of a Milky Way Dwarf Spheroidal?, Majewski, S. R., Patterson, R. J., Dinescu, D. I., Johnson, W. Y., Ostheimer, J. C., Kunkel, W. E., & Palma, C. 1999, in "The Galactic Halo: from Globular Clusters to Field Stars", in press.

A Search for Tidal Stellar Debris from the Magellanic Clouds: Survey Results from the First Two Years, Majewski, S. R, Ostheimer, J. C., Kunkel, W. E., Johnston, K. V., Patterson, R. J. & Palma, C. 1999, in "IAU Symposium 190: New Views of the Magellanic Clouds", eds. Chu et al., (San Francisco: ASP), 508.

The Optical Counterpart and Megaparsec Environment of the Giant FR II NVSS 2146+82, Palma, C., Majewski, S. R., Cotton, W. D., Bridle, A. H., and Bershady, M. A. 1997, BAAS, 190, 38.12.

Constraints on Relativistic Beaming Models of BL Lacs, Kollgaard, R. I., Laurent-Muehleisen, S. A., Feigelson, E. D., and Palma, C. 1995, BAAS, 187, 84.14.