{"id":4974,"date":"2025-02-03T16:15:16","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T21:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/?p=4974"},"modified":"2025-02-03T16:15:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T21:15:44","slug":"dr-adam-beardsley-shaping-the-future-of-radio-astronomy-student-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/dr-adam-beardsley-shaping-the-future-of-radio-astronomy-student-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Adam Beardsley: Shaping the Future of Radio Astronomy &amp; Student Success"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Meet Dr. Adam Beardsley, Assistant Professor of Physics and General Engineering at Winona State University.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">He recently received a prestigious grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), which he hopes to use to bring exciting radio astronomy projects into the classroom.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\"><strong>Fun facts:<\/strong> Only about 5 to 10 of these awards are given out each year\u2014across the entire country<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">. <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Winona State is also the only Minnesota State school to receive a CAREER grant in the past decade.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/02\/WSU-Adam-Beardsley-2025-01-31-feature.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;WSU faculty Adam Beardsley&#8221; title_text=&#8221;WSU-Adam-Beardsley-2025-01-31-feature&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Adam Beardsley Headshot&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_blurb title=&#8221;Who Is Adam Beardsley?&#8221; content_max_width=&#8221;1100px&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Who Is Adam Beardsley? Blurb&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_level=&#8221;h2&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dr. Beardsley has been a professor of Physics and General Engineering at Winona State for 4 years.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">He enjoys teaching at WSU because the small class sizes allow him to get to know every single student in his classes.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">He also appreciates Winona State\u2019s supportive culture:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cFrom my very first day, I felt like I had the freedom to explore and develop teaching methods while getting all the support I needed from my colleagues. This has allowed me try out different ideas in the classroom to make my impact more meaningful to the students.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_divider show_divider=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_blurb title=&#8221;What Has He Been Studying in the Field?&#8221; content_max_width=&#8221;1100px&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;What Has He Been Studying in the Field? Blurb&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_level=&#8221;h2&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dr. Beardsley primarily focuses on researching radio astronomy. Radio astronomy is a branch of science that studies how to determine what stars, planets, and galaxies are made of and how far away they are from Earth.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">One related project he has in progress is developing a signal processing framework for the Long Wavelength Array in New Mexico. This framework is important because it translates radio wave signals into something a computer can read and then generates images of the entire sky at extremely fast rates.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The long-term goal of the project is to use this framework in future radio telescopes to study the structure of the universe and how galaxies were created.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Another project Dr. Beardsley is working on is an educational radio telescope called the Completely Hackable Amateur Radio Telescope (CHART). In this project, undergraduate students are designing a telescope and developing all the software and tutorials needed for it to be used in high school classes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=&#8221;What Grant Did He Receive from the NSF?&#8221; content_max_width=&#8221;1100px&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;What Grant Did He Receive from the NSF? Blurb&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_level=&#8221;h2&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dr. Beardsley was awarded a $500,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant\u2014NSF\u2019s most prestigious award for early-career faculty.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">This grant will allow Dr. Beardsley and his students to explore the development of a new Winona Radio Observatory, something he believes will enable the future of radio astronomy. He and his students will carry out a variety of experiments to determine if the observatory is feasible for the area.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cI will take advantage of the semi-rural setting with bluffs that block a lot of interference to provide a test-bed platform to develop radio astronomy instruments. It will be much easier for scientists to come to Winona for their experiments than to travel to and coordinate with the major observatories.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=&#8221;How Do His Research and Projects Help Students Succeed?&#8221; image=&#8221;https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/02\/WSU-student-faculty-fire-table-experiment-2023-09-13-feature.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;WSU student and faculty member conducting a science experiment&#8221; content_max_width=&#8221;1100px&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;How Do His Research and Projects Help Students Succeed? Blurb&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_level=&#8221;h2&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dr. Beardsley believes that getting students involved in his research and projects gives them meaningful experiences to apply what they&#8217;re learning in the classroom.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">The experiences also make for good stories to tell during students\u2019 job interviews:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cI try to find projects where students \u2018own\u2019 a piece of a broader project, so they can practice and demonstrate independence and leadership, while also working with others, so they can practice and demonstrate collaborative skills.&#8221;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">With the NSF CAREER grant, Dr. Beardsley will be able to hire 3 student researchers each year for the next 5 years.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">These students will get to work on a variety of projects in radio astronomy, such as:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">developing hardware for small-scale experiments that explore the Milky Way galaxy\u2014think telescopes or satellite dishes that can fit in someone\u2019s backyard.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">analyzing the radio signal bursts from Jupiter&#8217;s atmosphere.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">conducting long-baseline (or large-scale) interferometry.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Thanks to the diversity in these projects, Dr. Beardsley can match each student with a project that aligns with their individual goals and skills, which will ensure a personalized and enriching research experience at Winona State.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cGetting students involved with projects that align with their personal interests and career goals ensures they can commit to the experience. I want them to feel invested. WSU students also tend to be very keen to see how ideas and concepts get applied to the real world, so I think they really appreciate seeing and participating in research where they can take what they learn and see it out in the wild.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Adam Beardsley is an Assistant Professor of Physics and General Engineering who received a prestigious NSF grant, which he hopes to use to bring exciting radio astronomy projects into the classroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":291,"featured_media":4986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,116,52,370],"tags":[120,143],"class_list":["post-4974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-cose","category-feature-post","category-professor-pop-up","tag-faculty","tag-highlight"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/02\/WSU-student-faculty-fire-table-experiment-2023-09-13-feature.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb2ffS-1ie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/291"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4974"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4998,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974\/revisions\/4998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}