"The International Year of Astronomy and You"
Rica Sirbaugh French, Professor of Astronomy
MiraCosta College & NASA Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars

"Hear the background for IYA2009, learn about some of the cornerstone projects including the Galileoscope, about NASA's Great Observatories exhibition of commemorative images, and find out where to get info on IYA happenings in your area. Make sure you are a part of this unprecedented worldwide celebration of 400 years of modern astronomy!"

Originally from Nashville, Rica earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Middle Tennessee State University and a graduate degree in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked for the Maria Mitchell Observatory, the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories. Her astrophysical research is mainly on open star clusters, utilizing data from observatories such as McDonald, Kitt Peak, Mauna Kea, and the Hubble Space Telescope. She divides her time now between building MiraCosta's Astronomy Program and working with NASA's Center for Astronomy Education as a member of the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars, doing research on, and educating instructors about, the teaching and learning of astronomy for nonscientists.