CAREER: Survival of the Privileged: Exploring the conditions that allow supermassive black holes and minority physicists to thrive

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。范德比尔特大学的Kelly Holley-Bockelmann博士将执行一项综合研究计划，以解决超大质量黑洞研究的几个前沿问题：超大质量黑洞如何合并，2。2 .超大质量黑洞的成长如何受到星系环境的影响；引力波反冲如何影响超大质量黑洞的生长。需要建立模型来理解这是如何影响低质量星系中黑洞从最初阶段的生长的，以及这是如何改变超大质量黑洞的人口统计数据的。这项工作利用了现有的范德比尔特资源，包括一个1400节点的超级计算机中心，并结合了高性能计算和广泛的数据挖掘，以测试和开发超大质量黑洞演化的综合理论。此外，霍利-博克曼博士将执行一项全面的计划，以解决天体物理学中女性和少数族裔代表性不足的问题。该计划包括：1)增加对计算资源、工具和培训的访问；2)一个正式的点对点辅导网络；3)为学生量身定制的研究经历，并与上述研究目标相结合；4)加强对少数民族高中教师的培训；5)增加少数民族高中生的科学学习机会。这些目标将通过与菲斯克大学的合作来实现，菲斯克大学是一所历史悠久的黑人大学，距离范德比尔特大学仅1.5英里。霍利-博克曼博士将在菲斯克校区为即将入学的研究生教授一门计算机“新兵训练营”课程。Holley-Bockelmann博士还将直接协调一个项目，使用火箭技术作为培训菲斯克学生获得高中教师资格证书的手段。学生们开发的模块将在当地高中进行实地测试，有关该计划有效性的数据将由菲斯克或范德比尔特的学生在《天文学教育》上发表论文。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Dr. Kelly Holley-Bockelmann (Vanderbilt University) will execute an integrated research plan to address several problems that are at the forefront of supermassive black hole research: 1. How supermassive black holes merge, 2. How supermassive black hole growth is influenced by the galaxy environment, and 3. How gravitational wave recoil impacts supermassive black hole growth. Models are needed to understand how this effects black hole growth from the earliest stages in low mass galaxies and how this changes the demographics of supermassive black holes. This work leverages existing Vanderbilt resources, including a 1400-node supercomputer center, and combines high-performance computing, and extensive data mining to test and develop a comprehensive theory for the evolution of supermassive black holes.In addition, Dr. Holley-Bockelmann will execute a comprehensive plan that will address the underrepresentation of women and minorities in astrophysics. The plan includes: 1) increased access to computational resources, tools, and training; 2) a formal network of peer-to-peer mentoring; 3) research experiences that are individually tailored to the student and integrate with the research goals listed above; 4) enhanced training for minority high school teachers; and 5) increased science learning opportunities for minority high school students. These goals will be accomplished though a partnership with Fisk University, a Historically Black University, located just 1.5 miles from Vanderbilt. Dr. Holley-Bockelmann will teach a computational "boot camp" course on the Fisk campus to entering graduate students. Dr, Holley-Bockelmann will also directly coordinate a program to use rocketry as a means to train Fisk students pursuing high school teacher certification. The modules developed by the students will be field-tested in local high schools, and the data on the efficacy of this program will constitute a thesis in Astronomy Education, by a Fisk or Vanderbilt student.