Tiffany Borders
Heritage Intern: Summer 2002
That first unforgettable spark of
inspiration occurred in the second grade. My father
took me to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena
where a two-day "space convention" showcased
space exploration and new technologies. Little did
I know at the time how big an impact the exhibits,
the hands-on demonstrations and presentations had
on directing my future life. I instantly became
hooked. I remember being the only second grader
in my class who could recite all nine planets -
in order! I loved every moment of it.
The following year I received my first
department store telescope (the one we are told
never to buy). It was a modest instrument, capable
of displaying images of only the brightest and closest
objects in the nighttime sky; but I would look up
at the sky from my backyard and gaze in awe through
it for hours upon hours. Both wonder and curiosity
fueled my imagination. The local public library
and I quickly became good friends. I attempted grasping
as much astronomy as my eyes would permit.
Science has made enormous strides in past decades.
It has answered basic questions about our place
in the universe. I marvel at the complexity in the
cosmos and hope to be at the cutting edge of scientific
and technological breakthroughs that will take us
even further in our quest to piece together cosmic
history. It's my experience as a youth, a passion
- a strong and innate passion - for human purpose
on the planet earth, and a longing to one day solve
some of these mysteries that drives me
A native to Los Angeles, I have attended
Sonoma State University since 1999 pursuing a B.S.
in physics with minor in astronomy. After I graduate
I would like to continue my quest for knowledge
studying astronomy in graduate school and eventually
obtain my Ph.D.
I am interested in observational astronomy
and "enjoy" sitting in the freezing cold
weather of Northern California taking images of
the sky in what are arguably not department store
telescopes. I work part-time with the Gamma-Ray
Large Area Telescope (GLAST)/Educational Public
Outreach (EPO) team, funded by NASA and headed by
SSU's Dr. Lynn Cominsky. GLAST is an international
and multi-agency satellite mission planned for launch
in 2006, with primary objective to study high-energy
wavelengths. My research at the Sonoma State observatory
includes imaging gamma-ray loud active galactic
nuclei to establish a baseline for variability in
support of the GLAST mission and as part of the
GLAST telescope network, searching for variable
stars in the anti-center region of our galaxy, monitoring
the brightness variations for selected classes of
objects, and spectroscopy.
Tiffany brings her enthusiasm and
support to the Hubble Heritage Team. Tiffany Borders
finds wisdom in Einstein's words, "The important
thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has
its own reason for existing. One cannot help but
be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of
eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of
reality. Never lose holy curiosity."
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