Horizons Fall 2016

O n display in his office, Stefan Kautsch , Ph.D., keeps a model of the Star Wars Millennium Falcon starship, an iconic symbol evoking myster- ies that have shadowed scientists for centuries. What’s out there? Are there undiscovered planets? Are humans alone in the universe? For Kautsch, an astrophysicist and associate professor at NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Ocean- ography, the fascination with far-away galaxies began early. “I’ve been interested in astronomy since I was a young child. It was always naturally there,” said Kautsch, who teaches astrophysics and physics classes with a research focus on dark matter, galaxies, and morphology. Growing up, “I didn’t have a telescope. I had a book, and that fascinated me. I had Lego spaceship models. I think the Lego spaceship program was a big motivator at the time,” said Kautsch, a native of Austria who earned his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Basel, Switzerland. In the classroom, his passion for astronomy is viral— engaging students from different majors who seek out his Introduction to Astronomy class. “I believe it’s his passion for astronomy that sets him apart as a desirable professor,” said Rosario Echeguren, B.S., 2015, a biology major who took the course. “He makes his classes fun and interesting,” said Eche- guren, citing his use of props to help explain concepts in physics and astronomy as always helpful and also enter- taining. “It’s evident that he truly enjoys teaching.” Kautsch inspired Echeguren to conduct a research project, A Guide to Exoplanets, that would help create a reference guidebook for future space travelers. (Exoplanets are planets that orbit host stars, but don’t orbit the sun.) Echeguren presented her research at NSU’s 2015 Undergraduate Student Symposium. “Given that Dr. Kautsch’s research interests are in astronomy and my own are in biology, I felt that he played a pivotal role in bridging any gap in my knowledge that would have been a hindrance while working on this project,” said Echeguren, who plans to pursue a career in medicine. “Working on this project with Dr. Kautsch definitely sparked my own interest in astronomy. I have a newfound appreciation for the field.” Reflecting awareness and teaching the importance of astronomy study remains Kautsch’s goal. “My academic mission is the integration of research, teaching, and service, which I do by involving my students in research,” said Kautsch, who helped develop a galaxy morphology app used by his students and at community events. “When I’m using the app in my classes, I can teach, provide a hands-on Professor Shares a Fascination for Astronomy with Students BY KATHLEEN KERNICKY 44 NSU HORIZONS FACULTY PROFILE Background photo credit: ESO