Mindy Townsend

Hello! My name is Mindy Townsend and I'm the Dudley Astronomer at Siena College.

I'm an outreach astronomer. What does that mean?

It means that I have the best job in the world. I get to focus fully on what I call public astronomy. I give public talks, host star parties, and hold astronomy workshops for K-12 students. 

Why is your title "Dudley Astronomer." 

An excellent question. This position is made possible by a collaboration between Siena College and Dudley Observatory, a non-profit organization that has been active in science and informal science education in the Capital Region of New York since 1852. In honor of that partnership and in recognition that Dudley's long tradition of informal science education, I am the Dudley Astronomer.

How can I book a program?

Dudley Observatory has a variety of programs, ranging from astronomy labs for kids to adult lectures. You can find a listing of those at dudleyobservatory.org. To book a program, please email info@dudleyobservatory.org. (Trust me, it's easier than emailing me directly.)

My Professional Experience

Current Research

My research interests involve galaxy formation and evolution. My dissertation work was on the growth of massive galaxies over time and was done at the University of Kansas under the supervision of Dr. Gregory Rudnick.