Curriculum Vitae Chris Churchill Assistant Professor of Astronomy
Department of Astronomy 1320 Frenger Mall New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM 88003	Phone: (575) 646-1913 Fax: (575) 646-1602 Email: cwc "at" nmsu.edu Web: http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/cwc
Dr. Churchill heads the NMSU Quasar Absorption Line Group, a research group focused on studies of the role of gas in galaxy evolution. Presently, the group comprises two faculty members, five graduate students, and one undegraduate student. The groups is currently funded by the National Science Foundation (AST 0708210), and NASA's New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. Dr. Churchill is also active in teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in astronomy. He serves on the NMSU Graduate School Council, the both the Deptartment of Astronomy Graduate Curriculum Committee and Graduate Committee (having served as Chair for the latter for two years). | Degrees | Employment | Teaching | Committees | Service | Societies | Awards | Talks | Students | Publicity | Bibliography |

DEGREES CONFERRED
1997 1992 1989	Ph.D. ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS Department of Astronomy University of California, Santa Cruz, CA - Dissertation Advisor: Steven Vogt - Committee: Chuck Steidel, Ken Lanzetta, Frank Drake, Dennis Zaritsky M.S. ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS Department of Astronomy University of California, Santa Cruz, CA - Research Advisor: Graeme Smith B.S. PHYSICS Department of Physics California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA - Senior Project Advisors: Keith Stowe & Tom Schumann
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EMPLOYMENT
2003-pres 2000-2003 1997-1999 1994-1996 1993 1992-1993 1990-1996 1988 1985-1986	ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ASTRONOMY Department of Astronomy New Mexico State University GRADUATE FACULTY, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE Department of Astronomy The Pennsylvania State University EBERLY SCHOOL OF SCIENCE DISTINGUISHED POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW Department of Astronomy The Pennsylvania State University PLANETARIUM OPERATOR Minolta Planetarium (capacity 150) De Anza Community College ASTRONOMY INSTRUCTOR (SUMMER SESSION) Department of Astronomy University of California, Santa Cruz ASTRONOMY INSTRUCTOR Department of Math and Science Cabrillo Community College GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH & TEACHING ASSISTANT Department of Astronomy University of California, Santa Cruz - Research Advisors: Dr. Graeme Smith, Dr. Garth Illingworth, Dr. Frank Drake, Dr. Steven Vogt - Teaching Advisors: Dr. Douglas Lin, Dr. John Falkner, Dr. Sandy Faber, Dr. Frank Drake RESEARCH ASSISTANT Summer Internship High Energy Physics Division Argonne National Laboratory & Fermilab RESEARCH ASSISTANT & SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMER One Year Internship Space Sciences Division NASA Ames Research Center
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2003-pres 1997-2003 1993 1992-1993 1992	NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY - ASTR 110 Introduction to Astronomy (Sp05, Fa05, Sp06, Sp07,Sp08) - ASTR 305 Life in the Universe (Sp04, Sp05, Sp06, Sp07, Fa07,Sp08) - ASTR 308 The Final Frontier (Su06, Su07) - ASTR 500 Graduate Seminar (Fa03) - ASTR 545 Stellar Atmospheres and Spectroscopy (Fa06) - ASTR 698 Evolution of the IGM via QSO Absorbers (Fa04) THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY - ASTR 001 Introduction to Astronomy (Fa01, Sp02) - ASTR 010 Observational Astronomy Labs (Fa97, Sp98, Fa98, Sp99, Fa99, Sp00, Fa00) - ASTR 498 Space Colonization (Sp01, Sp03) - ASTR 500 Graduate Seminar on Quasar Absorption Lines (Sp00) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ - ASTR 010 Summer Session Introductory Astronomy (Su93) CABRILLO COMMUNITY COLLEGE - ASTR 001 Introductory Astronomy (Sp93) - ASTR 010 Honors Introductory Astronomy (Sp93) - ASTR 100 Observational Astronomy Lab (Fa92) - ASTR 200 Astro Photography Lab (Fa92) WEST VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE - Summer Youth Astronomy Program (Su92)
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DEPT, COLLEGE, & UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES
2007-pres 2006-pres 2005-pres 2004-2007	Graduate Curriculum Committee, NMSU Astronomy Deptartment Graduate Council, NMSU Graduate School, elected member Instructional Improvement Committee, NMSU College of Arts and Sciences, elected member Graduate Committee (including student admissions), NMSU Astronomy Deptartment, Chair (2x) Research Affairs Committee, NMSU College of Arts and Sciences
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
2007-2008 2006-pres 2006-Nov 2005 2003-Nov 2000-2002 1998-1999 1998-Jan 1996-pres	Science Organizing Committee, Galaxy Evolution Meeting at UC Irvine (to be held Feb 2008) Gemini Telescope Canadian Time Allocation Committee, external proposal reviewer Book Reviewer: Life in the Universe, Addison Wesley NASA/FUSE Extragalactic Proposal Review Panel, panel chair Book Reviewer: The Essential Cosmic Perspective,Addison Wesley NASA/FUSE Extragalactic Proposal Review Panel, reviewer Hobby Eberly Telescope, Penn State Time Allocation Committee McDonald Observatory Time Allocation Committee, proposal reviewer NSF, Extragalactic Astronomy Division Proposal Review Panel, reviewer Journal Referee: Astrophysical Journal, Astronomical Journal, Astrophysics \& Astronomy, Monthly Notices
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PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
2003-pres 1995-pres 1990-pres 1987-1989 1987-pres	American Astronomical Society, Hisorical Astronomy Division, member Sigma-Xi, Scientific Research Society, elected member American Astronomical Society, member Society of Physics Students, Cal Poly Chapter, President (1998) Sigma-Pi-Sigma Physics Honor Society, elected member
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AWARDS, AWARD NOMINATIONS
2007 2006 2000 1999 1993 1992-1993 1988-1989	Particia Christmore Faculty Teaching Award, New Mexico State University, nomination Outstanding McNair Scholars Mentor, McNair Scholars Program Best McNair Student Research Project (Claudia Santiago), McNair Scholars Program NASA Hubble Fellowship, alternate list NASA Hubble Fellowship, alternate list Outstanding Teaching Assistant, University of California, Santa Cruz Outstanding Teaching Award, Cabrillo College Keith Steele Memorial Scholarship, Cal Poly
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TALKS/COLLOQUIA Not including annual meetings of the American Astronomical Society
2008-Feb 2006-May 2005-Mar 2003-Jan 2007-Oct 2007-Sep 2006-Oct 2005-Oct 2004-Oct 2004-Aug 2004-Jun 2003-Oct 2002-May 2001-Jun 2001-Apr 2000-May 1999-Jun 1999-May 1997-Aug 1997-Jul 1997-May 1996-Apr 1995-Oct 1994-Nov 2008-Apr 2007-Jun 2005-Sep 2004-Feb 2003-Mar 2003-Mar 2003-Feb 2003-Feb 2003-Jan 2002-Aug 2001-Sep 2000-Oct 2001-Jun 1999-Apr 1999-Jan 1998-May 1996-Jan 1996-Jan	INVITED TALKS - Gas Physics and Galaxy Evolution (Irvine, CA) (pending) - Galaxies in the Cosmic Web (Las Cruces, NM) - Probing Galaxies Through Quasar Absorption Lines (Shanghai, China) - Aspen Winter Conference on Particle Physics, At the Frontiers of Particle Physics (Aspen, CO) CONTRIBUTED TALKS - 23rd New Mexico Symposium (Socorro, NM) - Gas Accretion and Star Formation in Galaxies (Garching, Germany) - 22nd New Mexico Symposium (Socorro, NM) - 21st New Mexico Symposium (Socorro, NM) - 20th New Mexico Symposium (Socorro, NM) - The Environments of Galaxies: from Kiloparsecs to Megaparsecs (Chania, Crete) - Extraplanar Gas (Dwingeloo, Netherlands) - 19th New Mexico Symposium (Socorro, NM) - The IGM/Galaxy Connection: The Distribution of Baryons at $z=0$ (Boulder, CO) - Gaseous Matter in Galaxies and Intergalactic Space (Paris, France) - Extragalactic Gas at Low Redshift (Pasadena, CA) - Gas and Galaxy Evolution: 20th Anniversary of the VLA (Socorro, NM) - Clustering at High Redshift (Marseille, France) - Hubble Space Telescope Symposium: Celebrating 10 Years of HST (Baltimore, MD) - Galactic Halos: A UC Santa Cruz Workshop (Santa Cruz, CA) - Structure and Evolution of the IGM from QSO Absorption Line Systems (Paris, France) - The Ultraviolet Universe at Low and High Redshift: Probing Galaxy Evolution (College Park, MD) - Young Galaxies and QSO Absorbers (Sao Paulo, Brazil) - Probing the Galactic Halo: Inside and Out (Tucson, AZ) - QSO Absorption Lines (Garching, Germany) INVITED COLLOQUIA - University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM) (pending) - Los Alamos National Lab (Los Alamos, NM) - University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM) - Carnegie Observatories (Pasadena, CA) - University of Maryland, (College Park, MD) - University of Notre Dame (Southbend, IN) - San Francisco State University (San Francisco, CA) - New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM) - University of Notre Dame (Southbend, IN) - Brookhaven National Laboratory (Brookhaven, NY) - NASA Headquarters (Washington, DC) - University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) - Cambridge University (Cambridge, England) - Princeton University (Pasadena, CA) - Havard University (Havard, MA) - University of Texas, Austin (Austin, TX) - Aspen Winter Conference: Quasar Absorption Lines and Galaxy Evolution (Aspen, CO) - The Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA)
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STUDENTS SUPERVISED/ADVISED
2006-pres 2005-pres 2004-pres 2004-pres 2004-pres 2003-pres 2006 2006 2004-2006 2004-2005 2000-2004 1999-2003 2007-pres 2007-pres 2004-pres 2004-2005 2002-2003 2000-2003 2001-2003 2001 1999-2003 1999-2002	CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS - Daniel Ceverino (NMSU), Ph.D. committee member, anticipated July 2008 - Allison Widhalm (NMSU), Ph.D. research advisor, anticipated 2011 - Jessica Evans (NMSU), Ph.D. research advisor, anticipated 2010 - Ryan Campbell (NMSU), Ph.D. committee member, anticipated July 2008 - Brandon Lawton (NMSU), Ph.D. committee chair and Ph.D. research advisor, anticipated July 2008 - Glenn Kacprzak (NMSU), Ph.D. committee chair and Ph.D. research advisor, anticipated July 2008 PAST GRADUATE STUDENTS - Dr. Chris Thom (Swineburne, AU), Ph.D. committee member, awarded July 2006 - Moaz Alarawneh (NMSU), M.S. (Physics) committee member, awarded May 2006 - Dr. Don Lubowich (NMSU), Ph.D. committee chair and Ph.D research advisor, awarded July 2006 - Sara Giandoni (NMSU), M.S. committee chair and M.S. research advisor, awarded May 2005 - Dr. Jie Ding (PSU), Ph.D. committee member, awarded May 2004 - Dr. Rajib Ganguly (PSU), Ph.D. committee co-chair and Ph.D. research co-advisor, awarded June 2003 CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS - Chris Bellantoni (NMSU), engineering sophmore (research assistant for my group) - Claudia Santiago (NMSU), B.S. Physics (Academic Mentor for her McNair Scholarship) PAST UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS - Rose Chavierra (NMSU), engineering senior (research assistant for my group) - Paul Streander (NMSU), computer science senior (research assistant for my group) - Joe Maseiro (PSU), B.S. 2004, now 3rd yr graduate student at University of Hawaii - Nick Bond (PSU), B.S. 2003, now Postdoctoral Fellow at Rutgers with Eric Gawiser - Stephanie Zonak (PSU), B.S. 2003, now 5th yr gradraduate student at University of Maryland - Karen Kneirman (PSU), B.S. 2002, now NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Arizona State - Rick Mellon (PSU), B.S. 2003, now 3rd yr gradraduate student at University of Virginia - Dr. Jane Rigby (PSU), B.S. 2002, now NASA Spitzer Fellow, Carnegie Observatories
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PLUBLICITY OF RESEARCH Most of the hub-bub was generated from the project I was involved with to measure cosmic evolution in the fine structure constant (PI Dr. John Webb).
2007 2006 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2005 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2001 2001	MAGAZINE (PRINT AND ON-LINE) - New Scientist: New Evidence for Extragalactic Life-Forming Matter - NMSU Research & Resouces: Probing the Granduer of Galaxies - American Institute of Physics: Is the Fine Structure Constant Changing? - Nature: Fundamental Constant Swells - Nature; Research Highlights: Inconstant Constant - New Scientist: Light May Have Slowed Down - Physical Review Focus: A Constant that Isn't Constant - Scientific American: Keck Telescope Reveals Inconsistent Constant - Scientific American: Science and the Citizen - Sky & Telescope News: New Physics from Ancient Quasars - SPACE.com: Speed of Light, Other Constants May Change - New Scientist (editorial): Constant Chaos? NEWSPAPER - Las Cruces Bulletin: NMSU Astronomers at Forefront of Quasar-based Research - New York Times: Cosmic Laws Like Speed of Light Might Be Changing, A Study Finds} - New York Times Week in Review: Suddenly, The Cosmos Becomes More Fickle - Philidelphia Inquirer: It As Constant as the Stars? - Sydney Morning Herald: Electric Shock for World of Physics - USA Today: Speed of Light May Not have Been Constant After All - Washington Post: Challenge to a ``Constant'' Shakes Modern Physics RADIO/TV INTERVIEWS - ABC: Latenight (pre-recorded) - National Public Radio: The Diane Rehm Show (live) - National Public Radio: Science Friday with Ira Flatow (live) - Canadian Broadcasting Coorporation's (CBC): As It Happens (pre-recorded) - IDEA TV (Brazilian Television): Science in the News (pre-recorded)
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RECENT COLLABORATORS Nicolas Bouche (Max Planck), James Bullock (UC Irvine), Daniel Ceverino (NMSU), Jane Charlton (PSU), Sara Ellison (UVic), Michael Rauch (Carnegie), Sebastian Lopez (U Chile), Anatoly Klypin (NMSU), Naoto Kobayashi (NAOJ), Michael Murphy (Cambridge), Jason Prochaska (UCSC), Wal Sargent (Caltech), Ted Snow (Boulder), Chuck Steidel (Caltech)

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PUBLICATIONS DETAILED BIBLIOGRAPHY (1992-2008) (link) REFEREED ARTICLES/PAPERS - 50 Papers, 2000 Citations - Most Cited, 323 Citations -- (1996) Abundances at High Redshifts: The Chemical Enrichment History of Damped Ly- alpha Galaxies NON-REFEREED ARTICLES/PAPERS - 29 Articles, 123 Citations - Most Cited, 27 Citations -- (2005) MgII Absorption through Intermediate Redshift Galaxies Ph.D. THESIS - 38 Citations -- (1997) The Low Ionization Gas Content of Intermediate Redshift Galaxies

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