Public Outreach and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Activities
Multi-lingual astronomy: I am the co-founder of the Staryab astrophysical literature website (along with Azadeh Keivani), an astrophysical literature website in Farsi, and a sister website of Astobites. Our goal at Staryab is to introduce the world of professional astronomy to those at the beginning of this road, especially undergraduates in physics and astronomy. Staryab was launched in 2014. It won the 2018 Iranian Cheragh prize for scientific outreach to Persian speakers.
Math for underrepresented minorities: In 2017 I started the Mentorship and Education in SCIence for Tucson (MESCIT) program. MESCIT aims to reach to underrepresented students in Tucson, Arizona. Read more about it in here.
Sky without borders: Alongside my academic career, I always wanted to share my passion for astronomy with others. I think of astronomy as a gateway to introduce science to people, and show them how beautiful and useful science is in their everyday lives. That is why in the fall of 2008, with the help of a team of four friends, we established a global project called “StarPeace“, which aimed to promote peace and astronomy by having neighboring countries to hold public observation nights for locals at the same time at two sides of their borders. By the end of the project in 2014, we had more than 30 nations as our members and held more than 50 public observations around the globe.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI):
In 2020, with a group of PhD students and postdoc at Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, we started the International Scholars task force of the Steward Observatory DEI initiative. The goal of the task force is to facilitate the transition of incoming international scholars to Tucson and Steward, and to strengthen mutual understanding and respect within the Steward Observatory community. I was the postdoc representative in the task force until 2023.
COVID-19: I was the postdoc representative in the University of Arizona College of Science postdocs and graduate students re-entry committee. We evaluate and address the issues that postdocs and graduate students may face in research, teaching, mentoring, and overall maintaining academic life, while struggling with the pandemic.
Math for underrepresented minorities: In 2017 I started the Mentorship and Education in SCIence for Tucson (MESCIT) program. MESCIT aims to reach to underrepresented students in Tucson, Arizona. Read more about it in here.
Sky without borders: Alongside my academic career, I always wanted to share my passion for astronomy with others. I think of astronomy as a gateway to introduce science to people, and show them how beautiful and useful science is in their everyday lives. That is why in the fall of 2008, with the help of a team of four friends, we established a global project called “StarPeace“, which aimed to promote peace and astronomy by having neighboring countries to hold public observation nights for locals at the same time at two sides of their borders. By the end of the project in 2014, we had more than 30 nations as our members and held more than 50 public observations around the globe.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI):
In 2020, with a group of PhD students and postdoc at Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, we started the International Scholars task force of the Steward Observatory DEI initiative. The goal of the task force is to facilitate the transition of incoming international scholars to Tucson and Steward, and to strengthen mutual understanding and respect within the Steward Observatory community. I was the postdoc representative in the task force until 2023.
COVID-19: I was the postdoc representative in the University of Arizona College of Science postdocs and graduate students re-entry committee. We evaluate and address the issues that postdocs and graduate students may face in research, teaching, mentoring, and overall maintaining academic life, while struggling with the pandemic.
