Research Interests:

Ground-based, space-based, & airborne observations from UV through radio in preparation for, complementary to, and including the JWST PEARLS (formerly: Webb Medium Deep Fields) GTO surveys;

Design reference science program for a mid-UV–near-IR wide-field, high-resolution dichroic camera for a future 1.6–4.0 m space telescope to study star formation, near and far, and its link to formation and survival of solar systems, including our own;

Lifting the veil of dust from the stellar populations within nearby galaxies using images at far-IR, mid-IR, visible, and UV wavelengths;

The smallest galaxies in the local Universe; imaging and spectroscopy of satellite galaxies and ultra-compact dwarf galaxies;

Spatially resolved Hα and UV emission as tracers of current high-mass star formation in nearby galaxies; and the interplay between feedback by SNe on the ambient interstellar gas and dust;

Data reduction pipe-lines; removal of the pattern-noise (an electronic artefact) from all "Side-2" STIS/CCD data;

Tracking the hierarchical assembly of galaxies and the emergence of the Hubble sequence at z ≤ 1 via high-resolution UV–near-IR imaging of their stellar populations

First light: the hunt for the first QSO's and stellar populations that cleared the cosmic fog at z > 6.

Professional History:

1. Employment and Research

Research Scientist in Extragalactic Astronomy/Cosmology at the School of Earth and Space Exploration of the Arizona State University, Tempe AZ.
Research interests: JWST Medium Deep Fields and ancillary ground- and space-based preparatory science; First Light, formation of the first galaxies and of galaxy bulges and bars; galaxy evolution; high-resolution Hα and UV–IR imaging of nearby galaxies with GALEX, HST, and Spitzer; slitless spectroscopy with JWST and WFIRST; galaxy interactions; the smallest galaxies in the local Universe; star formation and the ISM in nearby field galaxies; future UV–IR space telescopes and instrumentation.

Associate Research Scientist in Extragalactic Astronomy/Cosmology at the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Dept. of Physics of the Arizona State University, Tempe AZ.
Research interests: high-resolution Hα and UV–IR imaging of nearby galaxies with GALEX, HST, and Spitzer; galaxy interactions; the smallest galaxies in the local Universe; formation of the first galaxies and of galaxy bulges and bars; star formation and the ISM in nearby field galaxies; and recalibration of the HST/STIS CCD data archive.

Assistant Research Scientist in Extragalactic Astronomy/Cosmology at the Dept. of Physics & Astronomy of the Arizona State University, Tempe AZ.
Research interests: high-resolution Hα and UV–IR imaging of nearby galaxies with GALEX, HST, and Spitzer; galaxy interactions; a cosmological census of faint and/or small galaxies; formation of the first galaxies and of galaxy bulges and bars; and star formation and the ISM in nearby field galaxies.

Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Dept. of Physics & Astronomy of the Arizona State University, Tempe AZ.
Research interests: high-resolution Hα and mid-UV—near-IR imaging of nearby galaxies with HST; re-ionization of H I and He II in the IGM; taking a cosmological census of faint galaxies; formation of the first galaxies and of galaxy bulges; star formation and the ISM in nearby field galaxies; and data restoration techniques.
Associateship supervisor:  Dr. R.A. Windhorst

ESA Internal Research Fellowship (postdoctoral) at the Astrophysics Division of the Space Science Department (aka. RSSD) of the European Space Agency, at the European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC), Noordwijk (NL).
Research interests: QSOs as tracers of large scale structure at high redshifts; re-ionization of He II in the IGM at z ~ 3; the expansion of the SN 1987A debris; intergalactic far-UV He II absorption; and the ionized ISM in nearby field galaxies.
Fellowship supervisor:  Dr. P. Jakobsen.

Ph.D. research at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the Univ. of Groningen (NL), and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), Cambridge, MA.
I obtained and analyzed UBR surface photometry, nuclear and integrated spectro- photometry for a representative sample of ~200 nearby field galaxies (see also: the NFGS homepage).
Thesis supervisors: Dr. M. Franx and Dr. D.G. Fabricant.

Masters thesis at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (Tenerife, Spain) and at the Kapteyn Institute: a UBVRIJK' study of the interstellar dust extinction curve in 4 highly inclined galaxies.
Thesis supervisors: Dr. P.C. van der Kruit, Dr. J.H. Knapen and Dr. J.E. Beckman.

Undergraduate thesis at the Kapteyn Institute: reduction of a high resolution radio continuum map of M 33 at = 49 cm, based on observations with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. Supervisor: Dr. J.M. van der Hulst.

2. Education:

Graduate student at the University of Groningen (NL) and at the Harvard- Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA.
Ph.D. thesis (University of Groningen): ``The Nearby Field Galaxy Survey: a spectrophotometric study of 196 galaxies in the local field'', Nov 28, 2000.
Supervisors: Dr. M. Franx (Kapteyn) and Dr. D.G. Fabricant (CfA).

Undergraduate student at the University of Groningen. Majors: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Physics and Mathematics. Minors: Applied physics, Experimental physics, Chemical bonds and Computer science.
M.Sc. thesis: ``The extinction by dust in highly inclined spirals'', Aug 31, 1993. Supervisors: Dr. P.C. van der Kruit (Kapteyn), Dr. J.H. Knapen, and Dr. J.E. Beckman (IAC).

High School student at the St. Willibrord College, Goes (NL). Atheneum-β profile: exact sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology) + Dutch, English and Latin.

3a. Teaching

3b. Mentoring/Advising/Training

4. Support

5a. Professional and University Service

5b. Public Outreach and Community Service

Illustrator of two sets of slides produced for the Dutch Association of Public Observatories (LVS).

6. Use of Telescopes & Instrumentation^†

      † Only successful proposals are listed

Co-I on a James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) archival calibration legacy program #04695 to constrain zodiacal light and diffuse extragalactic background light.

Co-I on JWST program #04744 to secure follow-up photometry of the triply-lensed SN H0pe at z = 1.78 (3.5 hrs)

Co-I on large program #9267 to continue deep NuSTAR hard X-ray monitoring of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (900 ks), and XMM-Newton X-ray spectroscopy (40 ks).

Co-I on a program to secure sub-mm interferometry with the SMA of JCMT/SCUBA-2 detected sources in the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (45 hrs).

Co-I on JWST program DD#04557 to spectroscopically confirm z ~ 3 transients found with JWST/NIRCam (10.8 hrs)

Co-I on JWST program DD#04446 to secure photometric and spectroscopic confirmation of triply-lensed SN H0pe in the field of lensing cluster G165 (10.5 hrs)

Co-I on large program #8180 to continue deep NuSTAR hard X-ray monitoring of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (855 ks), and XMM-Newton X-ray spectroscopy (30 ks).

Co-I on an AstroSat program to secure deep far-UV imaging of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (352 ks).

Co-I on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS program #17154 to secure two epochs of visible imaging, contemporaneous with planned JWST near-IR GTO observations, of the IRAC Dark Field (24 orbits).

Co-I on HST WFC3 program #17068 to secure near-UV–near-IR imaging to study young stars and gas structure in the dwarf irregular galaxy WLM (10 orbits).

Co-I on XMM-Newton program #090266 to secure X-ray spectroscopy of the lensing cluster PLCK G165.7+67.0 (49 ks).

Co-I on program #CY12215 to secure eMERLIN L-band (1.5 GHz) interferometric imaging of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (140 hrs).

Co-I on Archival HST program #16605 to improve constraints on the thermal foreground of HST.

Co-I on a program to secure sub-mm interferometry with the SMA of JCMT/SCUBA-2 detected sources in the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (36 hrs).

Co-I on a fast turnaround program GN-2022A-FT-106 on the 8 m Gemini telescope in support of planned JWST observations (0.45 hrs).

Co-I on Chandra X-ray Observatory program #22900038 to monitor the JWST North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) Time-Domain Field in X-rays (900 ks)

Co-I on large program #6218 to secure deep NuSTAR hard X-ray monitoring of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (780 ks), and XMM-Newton X-ray spectroscopy (40 ks).

P.I. on HST) Treasury program #16252 to complete the UV–visible imaging with WFC3/UVIS and ACS/WFC of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (52 primary + 52 parallel orbits).

Co-I on a large program to obtain 1.4 GHz H I radio images of galaxies with extended UV disks with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in C and B configuration (330 hrs).

Co-I on a fast turnaround program GN-2021B-FT-102 on the 8 m Gemini telescope in support of planned JWST observations (1.33 hrs).

Co-I on HST archival program #16147 to constrain extinction with near-UV spectroscopy of UV-bright star-forming galaxies via the 2175Å bump.

Co-I on a program to obtain 1.4 GHz H I radio images of the extended UV disk of NGC 3344 with the Very Large Array in C and B configuration (48 hrs).

Co-I on a Hubble Space Telescope archival treasury program #15810 to place panchromatic constraints on Extragalactic Background Light and Zodiacal Light sources.

Co-I on HST WFC3+ACS program #15647 to secure UV imaging of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey Fields (UVCANDELS) (164 primary + 164 parallel orbits).

Co-I on large program #5192 to secure deep NuSTAR hard X-ray coverage of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (585 ks).

Co-I on program #20900658 to secure deep Chandra X-ray images and monitor the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (600 ks)

Co-I on HST WFC3+ACS program #15959 to secure visible–near-IR imaging of a massive lensing cluster (5 orbits).

Co-I on a multi-partner program to secure deep U-band observations of the northern CANDELS fields in support of HST program #15647 (~8 nights in queue mode).

Co-I and co-observer on a program to obtain deep Hα and r-filter photometry of galaxies with extended UV disks using the 1.8 m VATT (Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope; Mt. Graham, AZ). (11 nights)

P.I. on a program to obtain a second epoch of deep Ugriz images with the 2×8.4m Large Binocular Telescope (LBT/LBC) of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field and its immediate surroundings (1 night).

Co-I on a pilot program to secure sub-mm interferometry with the SMA of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (40 hrs).

Co-I on a James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT)/SCUBA-2 program to identify sub-mm galaxies within the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (41.3 hrs).

Co-I on IRAM 30m/NIKA2 program 167-17 to secure 1.3 and 2 mm observations of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (30 hrs).

Co-I on a program to monitor the evolution of an X-ray flare in the wider area of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field using Swift/UVOT (20 visits of 1.2ks, 4 day cadence).

Co-I on a 6.5m MMT/Binospec program to secure redshifts within the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (2 nights).

Co-I on a program to secure deep near-IR imaging with the 2×8.4m Large Binocular Telescope (LBT/LUCI+AO) in preparation for JWST (1 night).

Co-I on James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) IDS GTO program 1176, the Webb Medium Deep Fields, to characterize galaxy formation and evolution from z ~ 15 to the present, serving as science lead on the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (110 hrs).

P.I. on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3+ACS program #15278 to secure UV–visible imaging of central portion of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (36 primary + 36 parallel orbits).

Co-I on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3 program #15106 to study the UV attenuation in JWST target VV 191 (10 orbits).

Co-I on program #19900666 to secure deep Chandra X-ray images of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (300 ks).

Co-I on a program to obtain 3 GHz radio images to sub-μJy sensitivity with the Very Large Array in A and B configuration of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (44 hrs).

Co-I on a program to obtain 4.5 GHz VLBA radio images of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (48 hrs).

Co-I on a 6.5m MMT/MMIRS program to secure deep near-infrared YJHK images of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (7 nights).

Co-I on a Spitzer Space Telescope program to secure deep IRAC images of Lensing Galaxy Clusters in preparation for JWST (52.5 hours).

P.I. on a program to obtain deep Ugriz images with the 2×8.4m Large Binocular Telescope (LBT/LBC) of the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field and its immediate surroundings (2×0.5 night).

James Webb Space Telescope: helped out as Data Analyst with NIRCam Cryo-Vacuum testing (CV3) at Goddard Space Flight Center.

James Webb Space Telescope: Co-I on a long-term JWST IDS GTO program to characterize galaxy formation and evolution from z ~ 15 to the present.

Co-I on Hubble Space Telescope archival program #13877: ``Project ALCATRAZ''

Co-I on a 8 m Gemini/GMOS survey of Nearby Galaxy Group Lenses (12 hrs)

Co-I on a program to obtain near-UV spectra of galaxies at z ~ 2, using the 6.5 m MMT and Blue Channel Spectrograph (Tucson, AZ). (2 nights)

Co-I on a CTIO 4 m/ISPI program to obtain deep near-IR surface photometry of nearby galaxies (3 nights)

Co-I on 8 m Gemini-North/NIRI program #DT-2013A-032 to image a z=5.85 quasar host (3 hrs, but lost to weather)

Co-observer and Co-I on a 2×8.4m Large Binocular Telescope (LBT/LBC) imaging program in support of Hubble Space Telescope surveys (3.5 nights)

Co-I on GO program #12974 to image the host galaxies and environments of UV-faint QSOs at z ~ 6 with Hubble Space Telescope / WFC3. (25 orbits)

Co-I on a program to obtain UBV photometry of candidate nearby analogs of Lyα-blobs and their hosts, using the 1.8 m VATT, Mt. Graham, AZ). (11 nights)

Co-I on GO/DD program #12332 to image the host galaxy and environment of a z = 6 QSO with Hubble Space Telescope / WFC3. (20 orbits)

Co-I on GALEX archival program GI 5-#15 to study the wavelength dependence of galactic structure.

P.I. on a program to obtain UBVRI photometry of nearby late-type dwarf galaxies using the 1.8 m VATT, Mt. Graham, AZ. (4 nights)

Co-I and PI on a program to obtain deep near-IR surface photometry of nearby galaxies using the 2.3 m Bok telescope (Kitt Peak, AZ) and PISCES. (15 nights)

Co-I on a program to obtain spectroscopic redshifts for satellite galaxy candidates using the 6.5 m MMT (Tucson, AZ). (2 nights)

P.I. on a program to obtain deep UVI photometry of an extremely metal-poor galaxy using the 1.8 m VATT, Mt. Graham, AZ. (3 nights)

P.I. on Archival Calibration Legacy program #11258 to remove the erratic herringbone pattern-noise from all Hubble Space Telescope / STIS "Side-2" CCD data.

Co-I on Hubble Space Telescope archival program #11287: Fundamental Limitations in deep HST Fields: Surface Brightness, Natural Confusion & Algorithmic Biases

Co-I on a program to obtain Strömgren photometry of galaxy satellites using the 1.8 m VATT (Mt. Graham, AZ). (12 nights)

P.I. on a program to obtain Hα surface photometry of galaxies in the Nearby Field Galaxy Survey, using the 1.8 m VATT (Mt. Graham, AZ). (25 nights)

Co-I on Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC+MIPS GO program #30406: Understanding the Blue-Sequence E/S0 Population: Fading Remnants and Future Spirals.

Co-I on Hubble Space Telescope ACS and NICMOS archival program #10974: The Unresolved Stellar Populations of Galaxies in the HUDF: Constraints on Hierarchical Formation.

Administrative PI, and Co-I on Hubble Space Telescope ACS GO program #10843: Deep Imaging of an Extremely Metal-poor Galaxy.

P.I. on Hα imaging program of galaxies within nearby voids with the 1.8 m VATT (Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope; Mt. Graham, AZ). (18 nights)

co-I on GALEX SNAPshot program GI 1-#36: observations of Dwarf Galaxies imaged with HST and Spitzer.

co-I on a 8 m Gemini Survey of Very Red Objects in ACS parallels

P.I. on optical broad-band and Hα imaging programs of nearby galaxies with the 1.8 m VATT (Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope; Mt. Graham, AZ). (38 nights)

P.I. on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS (Advanced Camera for Surveys) program #9892: an Hα SNAPshot survey of Nearby Galaxies observed in F300W.

Co-I on HST NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer) program #9824: The Remarkable Cool Stellar Population in Late-type Galaxies.

Co-I (informal) on HST WFPC2 (Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2) program #9955 to measure the All-sky Zodiacal Background and Constrain Kuiper Belt Objects at m_R > 28.

Co-I on a JCMT/SCUBA program to image nearby irregular galaxies at 850µm.

P.I. on a 6.5 m Magellan Baade (Las Campanas, Chile) IMACS program to obtain a Cosmological Census of Galaxy Structure, Assembly & Evolution at m_B > 20. (4 nights)

Co-I on a UKIRT JHKL-band survey of hot dust and star formation in normal galaxies.

6.5 m MMT (formerly Multiple Mirror Telescope; Tucson, AZ) Blue Channel Spectro graph long-slit spectroscopy of GRB030329/SN2003dh and field galaxies at z~ 0.2-0.5. (6 nights)

James Webb Space Telescope (formerly the Next Generation Space Telescope): as co-I on a long-term JWST IDS GTO program to characterize galaxy formation and evolution from z ~ 20 to the present.

HST STIS (Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) search for the H reionization edge at z > 6 (cycle 10+11, through collaboration). (425 orbits)

Co-I on a Hα imaging program of nearby interacting and isolated galaxies with the 1.8 m VATT, Mt. Graham, AZ. (25 nights)

Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 (Wide Field Planetary Camera 2), mid-UV snapshots of nearby galaxies (cycle 9+10, through collaboration). (89 orbits)

Co-I on ESO (Paranal, Chile) 8.2 m VLT-UT3 Melipal / FORS1 search for Lyα from QSOs reionizing He II at z = 2.8 – 3.1 (Visitor Mode; 4 nights)

HST STIS (Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph), far-UV MAMA observations of high z quasars (cycle 7 and 8, archival observations).

Co-I on ESO (Paranal, Chile) 8.2 m VLT-UT1 Antu / FORS1 search for Lyα from a QSO reionizing He II at z ~ 3 using a filtered dispersed imaging technique (Service Mode; ~2.5 hours).

HST FOC (Faint Object Camera) f/96 near-UV objective prism observations of SN 1987A (cycle 5 [through collaboration], supplemented by archival FOC, WFPC2 & STIS data).

ESO (La Silla, Chile) 3.6 m / EFOSC1 (ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera 1) optical long-slit spectroscopy of QSO candidates (through collaboration).

F.L. Whipple Observatory (FLWO; Tucson, AZ) 1.2 m telescope; co-I on a program to obtain IRCAM H,K-band surface photometry for ~125 nearby galaxies. (10 nights)

FLWO (Tucson, AZ) 1.2 m telescope; co-I on a long-term program to obtain U,B,R surface photometry for ~200 nearby galaxies. (51 nights)

FLWO (Tucson, AZ) 1.5 m Tillinghast and FAST spectrograph; co-I on long-term program to obtain nuclear and integrated spectrophotometry of ~200 nearby galaxies. (54 nights)

FLWO (Tucson, AZ) 1.5 m Tillinghast and FAST spectrograph; co-I on program to obtain nuclear spectroscopy of nearby galaxies. (5 nights)

Multiple Mirror Telescope (Tucson, AZ) Red Channel Spectrograph, multi-slit spectroscopy of a galaxy cluster CL0024+16 at z~0.39 (data obtained by supervisor).

ESO (La Silla, Chile) 2.2 m telescope and IRAC2 camera; JHK NIR imaging of highly inclined galaxies (through collaboration).

1 m Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope (La Palma, Spain); UBVRI CCD surface photometry of highly inclined galaxies (data obtained by supervisor).

Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT; Westerbork, NL); full synthesis radio continuum mapping of M 33 (data obtained by supervisor).

7. Computers

Extended experience using Unix work stations (Sun's mostly; some HP and DEC) and using and administering PC's running Linux (SuSE and RedHat/CentOS; some Ubuntu); some experience with VMS, DOS and Windows 3.1/'95/'98/ME/XP/Vista.
Extended experience with the IRAF astronomical software environment; I designed and implemented a reduction pipeline for the CCD data (both imaging and long-slit spectroscopy) obtained for my Ph.D. research, and authored two layered packages and many scripts for reduction and analysis of both ground-based and HST data. Extended experience with SuperMongo (both for numerical analysis and graphical output), with the TeX/LaTeX typesetting language, and with Postscript. Extended experience programming in Fortran 77 & Fortran 2003, and Unix csh/awk/sed scripts.
Experience with HTML: authored the NFGS web-pages (http://www.public.asu.edu/ ~rjansen/nfgs/) (originally at the Kapteyn Institute and at the CfA), the HST-related web pages (www.asu.edu/clas/hst/) at ASU, and the web pages of the Cosmology Group within the School of Earth and Space Exploration (www.public.asu.edu/~rjansen/sese/ )
Significant experience with RSI/ITT's Interactive Data Language (IDL), and some experience with Microsoft's relational database query language (SQL).
Some experience with ESO's MIDAS and the Kapteyn Institute's GIPSY data reduction and analysis environments. Some programming experience in ANSI C, BASIC and Pascal. Also used Mathematica at some point. Presently learning Python/Astroconda.

8. Memberships:

Other Experience:

Illustrator of the Faculty Information Guide (``ß-wijzer'') and of the Information Package for foreign students of the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Groningen.

Illustrator of two sets of slides produced for the Dutch Association of Public Observatories (LVS).

Awards & Grants:

Publications:

90 publications in refereed astronomical journals, plus 4 accepted for publications, plus 3 in review, plus 1 submitted for publication, a published Ph.D. thesis, and 305 other publications (of which 57 technical reports and conference proceedings and 125 poster papers). See my list of publications. And always more in various stages of completion.
The Astrophysics Data System (ADS) reports an approximate total number of 5189 citations (as of Mar 21 2024) to these publications (of which 28 papers have >28 citations).

Conferences, Schools and Meetings: