A Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy

南卡罗来纳州州立大学（SCSU）的Donald Walter博士，Jennifer Cash女士和丹尼尔Smith博士将与国家光学天文台（NOAO）的Steven豪厄尔博士和科学家以及克莱姆森大学（CU）的Mark Leising博士和科学家合作，合作伙伴关系被称为波卡（观测和计算天文学伙伴关系）。 通过一个多方面的计划，他们计划利用合作伙伴关系作为一种手段，以填补管道的非洲裔美国学生追求先进的学位，在科学，特别是天文学。档案数据将被用来关联RV金牛星的周期与几个物理参数，这有助于塑造这些对象成为有用的距离指标在本地组。 该伙伴关系还将参与一个研究伽马射线暴（GRB）余辉的全球网络和一项原始锂丰度的研究。 此外，他们将使用窄带H-α测光来搜索银河系晕中的短周期潮汐锁定双星。最后，该小组的一些成员将使用来自超大阵列和绿色银行望远镜的数据来研究磁场在星星形成中的作用。 SCSU是一所历史悠久的黑人学院/大学，96%的学生是非洲裔美国人。SCSU的本科生和CU的格拉德生将参加所有拟议的研究。 学生研究的机会将全年存在，并鼓励研究生成为本科生的导师。 该计划还旨在通过指导不仅SCSU的学生，但也教师在大学的研究基础。 该计划还将通过基于探究的天文学实验室接触非科学专业的学生，并将利用外展计划与公众和K-12社区分享科学。

Dr. Donald Walter, Ms. Jennifer Cash, and Dr. Daniel Smith at South Carolina State University (SCSU) will partner with Dr. Steven Howell and scientists at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) as well as Dr. Mark Leising and scientists at Clemson University (CU) in a partnership to be known as POCA (A Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy). Through a multi-faceted program they plan to use the partnership as a means to fill the pipeline of African-American students pursuing advanced degrees in science, and particularly, astronomy.Archival data will be used to relate the periods of RV Tauri stars to several physical parameters, which help shape these objects into useful distance indicators in the Local Group. The partnership will also participate in a world-wide network studying gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow and a study of primordial lithium abundances. Additionally, they will use narrow-band H-alpha photometry to search for short-period, tidally locked binaries in the Galactic Halo. Finally, some of the group will use data from the Very Large Array and the Green Bank Telescope to investigate the role of magnetic fields in star formation. SCSU is a Historically Black College/University with 96% of the student population being African-American. Undergrads at SCSU and grad students from CU will take part in all of the proposed research. The opportunities for student research will exist year-round, and graduate students will be encouraged to become mentors to undergraduates. The program is also intended to boost the research foundation at the university by mentoring not only SCSU students but also faculty members. The program will also reach non-science majors through inquiry-based astronomy labs, and outreach programs will be used to share the science with the public and K-12 community.