Kimberly Arcand

Last updated
Kimberly Kowal Arcand
Kimberly Kowal Arcand at TEDx Providence Rhode Island.jpg
TEDxProvidence, Rhode Island
"How to Hold a Dead Star in Your Hand"
Born (1975-12-20) December 20, 1975 (age 47)
Warwick, Rhode Island, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater University of Rhode Island
Brown University
Harvard University
University of Otago
SpouseJohn L. Arcand
Children2
Scientific career
Fields Data visualization
Science communication
Institutions Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Thesis Putting the stars within reach: NASA 3D data-based models in 3D print and virtual reality applications, and their potential effects on improving spatial reasoning skills and STEM interest in underrepresented groups of young female learners  (2020)
Doctoral advisor Lisa F. Smith
Website www.kimarcand.com

Kimberly Kowal Arcand (born December 20, 1975) is a data visualizer and science communicator for NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. [1] She is also the visualization coordinator for the Aesthetics and Astronomy image response project at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian [2] located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Contents

Early life and education

As a child, Arcand wanted to be an astronaut. [3] She studied molecular biology at the University of Rhode Island and also became a developer for the University of Rhode Island Center for Vector-Borne Disease Public Health project. [4] She was awarded a fellowship with the Rhode Island Public Health Partnership to work on Lyme disease. [5] Arcand studied briefly at the Harvard University Department between 2000 and 2002. [6] In 2013 Arcand earned a Master's degree in Public Humanities from Brown University, focusing on image and meaning research. [7] In 2020, Arcand completed her doctorate at the University of Otago in visualization science, under the supervision of Lisa Smith. [8] [9] She worked in the University of Rhode Island Department of Computer Science as an instructor between 1997 and 1999. [10] She joined the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Chandra X-ray Observatory in 1998. [6]

Career

Arcand on This Week in Science in 2016 with Megan Watzke hosted by Kiki Sanford Kimberly Arcand on vid in 2016.png
Arcand on This Week in Science in 2016 with Megan Watzke hosted by Kiki Sanford
Arcand inside Brown University YURT, or VR CAVE, during testing of the headset and application. Rendering Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A into Virtual Reality.jpg
Arcand inside Brown University YURT, or VR CAVE, during testing of the headset and application.
Kim Arcand, Visualization and Emerging Technology Lead for NASA's Flagship Chandra X-ray Observatory, joins Todd Stewart and Bob Calise of Subjectmatterx.com to discuss the mysteries of the universe

In 2009 Arcand launched From Earth to the Universe with UNESCO. [5] [12] She is the visualization coordinator of the Aesthetics and Astronomy image response project at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. [13] The project launched in 2010 and looks at variations in the presentation of color and scale in astronomical images. The team also studies how people respond to images, and the misconceptions that non-experts have when they view them. [13] The project began when Randall, Jeffrey, and Lisa F. Smith realized that the art would provide astrophysicists a more effective way in conveying the results to a much larger audience. [14] The group explored the public perception of astronomical pictures using a survey linked to the NASA Astronomical Picture of the Day site. [15]

She worked closely with UNESCO to celebrate the International Year of Light, [16] an open-source exhibition that showcased science based on light. [17] The celebration was supported by SPIE. [16] Using NASA data, Arcand developed a way to 3D print a supernova remnant. [18] [19]

In 2016 the White House selected Arcand as a changemaker at the United State of Women Summit. [20] where she wrote about the event for HuffPost. [21] In 2017 Vinita Marwaha Madill's profiled her on Rocket Women. [22] Arcand also serves on the boards of Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA). [23] and Rhode Island's Tech Collective. [24] In 2019, Arcand collaborated with the Smithsonian Institution to launch the "Journey through an Exploded Star” 3-D Interactive Experience website. [25]

Honors and awards

Arcand has won several awards for her work from NASA and the Smithsonian Institution.

Publications

Authored and co-authored

Arcand has written several popular science books. Her book Colouring the Universe was selected by Cosmos as one of the Top Illustrated Science Books of 2016. [30] She collaborates with Megan Watzke and Travis Rector, Ph.D. [31] Her book Light: The Visible Spectrum and Beyond was selected by Forbes as one of the Top 10 Gifts of 2016. [32]

Selected academic works

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandra X-ray Observatory</span> NASA space telescope launched in 1999

The Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO), previously known as the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), is a Flagship-class space telescope launched aboard the Space ShuttleColumbia during STS-93 by NASA on July 23, 1999. Chandra is sensitive to X-ray sources 100 times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope, enabled by the high angular resolution of its mirrors. Since the Earth's atmosphere absorbs the vast majority of X-rays, they are not detectable from Earth-based telescopes; therefore space-based telescopes are required to make these observations. Chandra is an Earth satellite in a 64-hour orbit, and its mission is ongoing as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard College Observatory</span> Astronomical observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

The Harvard College Observatory (HCO) is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, and was founded in 1839. With the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, it forms part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Observatories program</span> Series of NASA satellites

NASA's series of Great Observatories satellites are four large, powerful space-based astronomical telescopes launched between 1990 and 2003. They were built with different technology to examine specific wavelength/energy regions of the electromagnetic spectrum: gamma rays, X-rays, visible and ultraviolet light, and infrared light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory</span> Astronomical observatory in Massachusetts, US

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution, concentrating on astrophysical studies including galactic and extragalactic astronomy, cosmology, solar, earth and planetary sciences, theory and instrumentation, using observations at wavelengths from the highest energy gamma rays to the radio, along with gravitational waves. Established in Washington, D.C., in 1890, the SAO moved its headquarters in 1955 to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where its research is a collaboration with the Harvard College Observatory (HCO) and the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. In 1973, the Smithsonian and Harvard formalized the collaboration as the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) under a single Director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics</span> Astronomical observatory in Massachusetts, US

The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), previously known as the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, is an astrophysics research institute jointly operated by the Harvard College Observatory and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, the CfA leads a broad program of research in astronomy, astrophysics, Earth and space sciences, as well as science education. The CfA either leads or participates in the development and operations of more than fifteen ground- and space-based astronomical research observatories across the electromagnetic spectrum, including the forthcoming Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, one of NASA's Great Observatories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassiopeia A</span> Supernova remnant in the constellation Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is a supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation Cassiopeia and the brightest extrasolar radio source in the sky at frequencies above 1 GHz. The supernova occurred approximately 11,000 light-years (3.4 kpc) away within the Milky Way; given the width of the Orion Arm, it lies in the next-nearest arm outwards, the Perseus Arm, about 30 degrees from the Galactic anticenter. The expanding cloud of material left over from the supernova now appears approximately 10 light-years (3 pc) across from Earth's perspective. It has been seen in wavelengths of visible light with amateur telescopes down to 234 mm (9.25 in) with filters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perseus Cluster</span> Galaxy cluster in the constellation Perseus

The Perseus cluster is a cluster of galaxies in the constellation Perseus. It has a recession speed of 5,366 km/s and a diameter of 863′. It is one of the most massive objects in the known universe, containing thousands of galaxies immersed in a vast cloud of multimillion-degree gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Gaensler</span> Australian astronomer

Bryan Malcolm Gaensler is an Australian astronomer based at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He studies magnetars, supernova remnants, and magnetic fields. In 2014, he was appointed as Director of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, after James R. Graham's departure. He was the co-chair of the Canadian 2020 Long Range Plan Committee with Pauline Barmby. In 2023, he was appointed as Dean of Physical and Biological Sciences at UC Santa Cruz.

Amy J. Barger is an American astronomer and Henrietta Leavitt Professor of Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is considered a pioneer in combining data from multiple telescopes to monitor multiple wavelengths and in discovering distant galaxies and supermassive black holes, which are outside of the visible spectrum. Barger is an active member of the International Astronomical Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of supernova observation</span> Ancient and modern recorded observations of supernovae explosions

The known history of supernova observation goes back to 1006 AD. All earlier proposals for supernova observations are speculations with many alternatives.

Leon P. Van Speybroeck was an American astronomer who served as Telescope Scientist for the [[Chandra X-Ray Observatory], which was launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999. Van Speybroek designed the mirrors that made possible its spectacular X-ray images of nearby and remote celestial objects, including comets, exploding stars, jets of gas spewing from nearby black holes, and powerful quasars more than 10 billion light years from Earth. The data from Chandra prompted new discoveries about the evolution of stars and galaxies, the nature of the black holes, dark matter, and the shape and dimensions of the universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somak Raychaudhury</span> Indian astrophysicist

Somak Raychaudhury is an Indian astrophysicist. He is the Vice-Chancellor at Ashoka University and was the Director of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. He is on leave from Presidency University, Kolkata, India, where he is a Professor of Physics, and is also affiliated to the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. He is known for his work on stellar mass black holes and supermassive black holes. His significant contributions include those in the fields of gravitational lensing, galaxy dynamics and large-scale motions in the Universe, including the Great Attractor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 1979C</span> Supernova event of 1979 in constellation Coma Berenices

SN 1979C was a supernova about 50 million light-years away in Messier 100, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices. The Type II supernova was discovered April 19, 1979 by Gus Johnson, a school teacher and amateur astronomer. This type of supernova is known as a core collapse and is the result of the internal collapse and violent explosion of a large star. A star must have at least 9 times the mass of the Sun in order to undergo this type of collapse. The star that resulted in this supernova was estimated to be in the range of 20 solar masses.

Jonathan Christopher McDowell is an astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He is a staff member at the Chandra X-ray Center. McDowell is the author and editor of Jonathan's Space Report, an e-mail-distributed newsletter documenting satellite launches.

Wanda Díaz-Merced is an astronomer best known for using sonification to turn large data sets into audible sound. She currently works at the European Gravitational Observatory Cascina, Italy. As someone who has lost their eyesight, she is a leader in increasing equality of access to astronomy and using audible sound to study astrophysical data. Wanda has been included in the list of the 7 most trailblazing women in science by the BBC.

Lisa F. Smith is a US-New Zealand education academic. She has been emeritus professor at the University of Otago since 2019.

Blakesley Burkhart is an astrophysicist. She is the winner of the 2017 Robert J. Trumpler Award awarded by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, which recognizes a Ph.D. thesis that is "particularly significant to astronomy." She also is the winner of the 2019 Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy and the 2022 winner of The American Physical Society's Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award. The awards both cited her work on magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, and for developing innovative techniques for comparing observable astronomical phenomena with theoretical models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabio Pacucci</span> Italian theoretical astrophysicist and science educator

Fabio Pacucci is an Italian theoretical astrophysicist and science educator, currently at Harvard University and at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. He is widely known for his contributions to the study of black holes, in particular the first population of black holes formed in the Universe and high redshift quasars. He discovered the only two candidate direct collapse black holes known so far, and he was in the team that discovered the farthest lensed quasar known. Pacucci is also a science educator, engaged in public talks on astronomy and science in general. Since 2018 he is a collaborator of TED in developing educational videos about science. The four videos released so far were watched by millions of people worldwide and translated into 25 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant Tremblay</span> American astrophysicist (born 1984)

Grant Tremblay is an American astrophysicist notable for research on supermassive black holes, science communication, and public advocacy for large space telescopes. He is currently an Astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and was formerly a NASA Einstein Fellow at Yale University, a Fellow at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and an Astronomer at ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT).

References

  1. ↑ "Chandra X-ray Observatory". doi:10.1036/1097-8542.801990. hdl: 2060/20010020257 .{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ "Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics", The Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics, IOP Publishing Ltd, 2001, CiteSeerX   10.1.1.248.447 , doi:10.1888/0333750888/4206, ISBN   978-0333750889
  3. ↑ "Kimberly Kowal Arcand - Carnegie STEM Girls". Carnegie STEM Girls. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  4. ↑ "TickEncounter Resource Center > About > Our Team". tickencounter.org. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Women in the High-Energy Universe: Kim Arcand | ChandraBlog | Fresh Chandra News". chandra.harvard.edu. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Kimberly Arcand". Kimberly Arcand & Megan Watzke. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  7. ↑ Arcand, Kimberly K.; Watzke, Megan; Rector, Travis; Levay, Zoltan G.; DePasquale, Joseph; Smarr, Olivia (August 8, 2013). "Processing Color in Astronomical Imagery". Studies in Media and Communication. 1 (2): 25–34. arXiv: 1308.5237 . Bibcode:2013arXiv1308.5237A. doi:10.11114/smc.v1i2.198. ISSN   2325-808X. S2CID   62543838.
  8. ↑ "Kimberly K. Arcand | Center for Astrophysics". pweb.cfa.harvard.edu. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Arcand, Kimberly (2020). Putting the stars within reach: NASA 3D data-based models in 3D print and virtual reality applications, and their potential effects on improving spatial reasoning skills and STEM interest in underrepresented groups of young female learners (Doctoral thesis). OUR Archive, University of Otago. hdl:10523/10250.
  10. ↑ "Kimberly Arcand". fabfems.org. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Meet A Rocket Woman: Kim Kowal Arcand, Science Visualization Lead, NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory & Author – Rocket Women". rocket-women.com. December 10, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  12. ↑ "From Earth to the Universe Exhibition". www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "About | Aesthetics & Astronomy". astroart.cfa.harvard.edu. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Scientific research, artfully shown". Harvard Gazette. September 22, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  15. ↑ Smith, Lisa F.; Smith, Jeffrey K.; Arcand, Kimberly K.; Smith, Randall K.; Bookbinder, Jay; Keach, Kelly (August 18, 2010). "Aesthetics and Astronomy: Studying the Public's Perception and Understanding of Imagery From Space". Science Communication. 33 (2): 201–238. arXiv: 1009.0772 . doi:10.1177/1075547010379579. hdl:10523/6961. ISSN   1075-5470. S2CID   118434018.
  16. 1 2 Chandra X-ray Observatory (October 13, 2015), Light Beyond the Bulb: Bent Light in Space , retrieved November 14, 2018
  17. ↑ "LIGHT: Beyond the Bulb". lightexhibit.org. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  18. ↑ "X-RAY UNIVERSE". chandra.si.edu. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Walking among the stars". chandra.si.edu. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Women in the High Energy Universe | ChandraBlog | Fresh Chandra News". chandra.harvard.edu. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  21. ↑ Arcand, Kimberly K. (July 6, 2016). "We Got This". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Meet A Rocket Woman: Kim Kowal Arcand, Science Visualization Lead, NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory & Author – Rocket Women". rocket-women.com. 10 December 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  23. ↑ "About Us | RIMOSA". rimosa.org. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Board Members - Tech-Collective". Tech-Collective. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Smithsonian Launches "Journey through an Exploded Star" 3-D Interactive Experience". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
  26. ↑ "Chandra Press Room :: Pirelli Award Recognizes Chandra Podcasts :: May 17, 2007". chandra.harvard.edu. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  27. ↑ "International Astronomical Union | IAU". www.iau.org. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  28. ↑ TechCollectiveRI (December 1, 2014), Kimberly Kowal Arcand - 2014 Tech10 Award Winner , retrieved November 14, 2018
  29. ↑ "Past Smithsonian Education Award Recipients". smithsonianeducation.org. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Top illustrated science books of 2016 | Cosmos". cosmosmagazine.com. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Kimberly Kowal Arcand - Somewhere, Outside The Rainbow • scientia.global". scientia.global. February 23, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  32. ↑ Siegel, Ethan. "Top 10 Gifts For Lovers Of Outer Space". Forbes. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  33. ↑ Arcand (November 21, 2022). "Stars in Your Hand". The MIT Press. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  34. ↑ Sexton, Courtney. "Inspire Your Toddler's STEM Career With This 'Goodnight Moon' Parody". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  35. ↑ Noble, Barnes &. "An Alien Helped Me with My Homework|NOOK Book". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  36. ↑ "Light from the Void". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  37. ↑ Megan., Watzke (2018). Magnitude: The Scale of the Universe. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers Inc. ISBN   9780316502917. OCLC   1016916313.
  38. ↑ results, search; Arcand, Kimberly; results, search (November 15, 2015). Coloring the Universe: An Insider's Look at Making Spectacular Images of Space. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press. ISBN   9781602232730.
  39. ↑ Arcand, Kimberly; results, search (November 26, 2015). Light: The Visible Spectrum and Beyond. New York, NY: Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN   9781631910067.
  40. ↑ ARCAND, KIMBERLY K. (April 2, 2013). Your Ticket to the Universe: A Guide to Exploring the Cosmos. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. ISBN   9781588343758.
  41. ↑ Arcand, Kimberly K.; Jiang, Elaine; Price, Sara; Watzke, Megan; Sgouros, Tom; Edmonds, Peter (December 15, 2018). "Walking Through an Exploded Star: Rendering Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A into Virtual Reality". Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal. 24: 17. arXiv: 1812.06237 . Bibcode:2018CAPJ...24...17A.
  42. ↑ K., Arcand, K.; E., Jiang; S., Price; M., Watzke; T., Sgouros; P., Edmonds (October 2018). "Walking Through an Exploded Star: Rendering Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A into Virtual Reality". Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal. 24: 17. arXiv: 1812.06237 . Bibcode:2018CAPJ...24...17A.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. ↑ Smith, Lisa; Arcand, Kimberly; Smith, Randall; Bookbinder, Jay; Smith, Jeffrey (November 21, 2017). "Capturing the many faces of an exploded star: communicating complex and evolving astronomical data". Journal of Science Communication. 16 (5): A02. Bibcode:2017JCOM...16..202A. doi: 10.22323/2.16050202 . ISSN   1824-2049.
  44. ↑ K., Arcand; W., Megan; J., DePasquale; A., Jubett; P., Edmonds; K., DiVona (2017). "Bringing Cosmic Objects Down to Earth: An Overview of 3D Modelling and Printing in Astronomy and Astronomy Communication". Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal. 22: 14. Bibcode:2017CAPJ...22...14A.
  45. ↑ "Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal". www.capjournal.org. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  46. ↑ "SciTech Europa Quarterly". edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  47. ↑ Rector, Travis A.; Levay, Zoltan G.; Frattare, Lisa M.; Arcand, Kimberly K.; Watzke, Megan (May 1, 2017). "The Aesthetics of Astrophysics: How to Make Appealing Color-Composite Images that Convey the Science". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 129 (975): 058007. arXiv: 1703.00490 . Bibcode:2017PASP..129e8007R. doi:10.1088/1538-3873/aa5457. ISSN   0004-6280. S2CID   119242567.
  48. ↑ Smith, Lisa F.; Smith, Jeffrey K.; Arcand, Kimberly K.; Smith, Randall K.; Bookbinder, Jay; Keach, Kelly (September 3, 2010). "Aesthetics and Astronomy: Studying the public's perception and understanding of non-traditional imagery from space". Science Communication. 33 (2): 201–238. arXiv: 1009.0772 . Bibcode:2010arXiv1009.0772S. doi:10.1177/1075547010379579. ISSN   1075-5470. S2CID   118434018.
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