Amy’s thesis project through the MS Geography program with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Texas State University compares sky brightness of International Dark Sky Association designated International Dark Sky Communities to control communities in Texas. She hopes to contribute to light pollution research in order to aid in the preservation of our night sky.
Fro the project, she traveled to the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve in West Texas in January 2023 and June 2024 to take sky brightness readings at the communities inside the reserve. In Spring of 2023 she took readings at all IDA Dark Sky Communities in Central Texas. During the summer of 2023, she traveled over 2,100 miles to take readings at control communities. You can see posts about this project on instagram at @starryskyaustin. Read the published article in the Journal of Environmental Management. In 2019, Amy created the Texas Dark Sky Quality map story map or her capstone project for the Austin Community College GIS Certificate program.
Amy is an associate with Astro Accel, a network of networks that brings together researchers and practitioners in the domains of astronomy education, engagement, communication and culture to connect stakeholders and advance these areas of research. She is a team member with the “Joy, Wonder and Awe in Informal Astronomy Experiences” project. We have created and are currently conducting a survey of experiences of joy and awe in informal astronomy for ages 6 and up.