Dr. Glen R. PetitpasCitizenship: Canadian
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for AstrophysicsDate of Birth: November 25, 1972
Smithsonian Astrophysical ObservatoryPlace of Birth: Halifax, NS, Canada
645 N. A'ohoku Place, Hilo, HIphone: 808 961 2936
U.S.A., 96720 fax: 808 961 2921
 email: gpetitpas{at}cfa.harvard.edu
  http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~gpetitpas

EDUCATION/EMPLOYMENT

2007-present: Astronomer, Scheduler, Computer Engineer
  Submillimeter Array, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
2004-2007: SMA Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
  Dr. Paul Ho, Dr. Ray Blundell, advisors
2001-2004: BIMA Fellow, University of Maryland
  Dr. Stuart Vogel, advisor
1997-2001: Ph.D. (Astronomy) McMaster University
  Dr. Christine D. Wilson, advisor
1995-1997: M.Sc. (Astronomy) McMaster University
  Dr. Christine D. Wilson, advisor
1991-1995: B.Sc. (Honours Astrophysics) Saint Mary's University
  Dr. David A. Clarke, advisor

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS

    i) Refereed Journals:

  1. Petitpas, G., Iono, D., Peck, A., Wilson, C., Baker, A., Sakamoto, K, Matsushita, S., & Ho, P., The Warm Molecular Gas Ring of NGC 7331, in prep
  2. Petitpas, G., Wilson, C., Iono, D., Peck, A., Krips, M., Warren, B., Baker, A., Yun, M., Pihlstrom, Y., Mihos, C., Matsushita, S., Juvela, M., Ho, P., Cox, T., & Armus, L., Luminous Infrared Galaxies with the Submillimeter Array: II. High Angular Resolution Observations of Warm Molecular Gas in VV114, in prep.
  3. Iono, D., Petitpas, G., Peck, A., Wilson, C., Matsushita, S., Sakamoto, K., Wang, J., Ho, P., Zhang, Q., Rots, A., Wang, Z., Yun, M., & Surace, J., Warm Gas and Temperature Gradients in the Giant Molecular Associations of the Antennae (NGC 4038/9), in prep.
  4. Clements, D.L., Petitpas, G., Farrah, D., Hatziminaoglou, E., Babbedge, T., Rowan-Robinson, M., Perez-Fournon, I., Hernan-Caballero, A., Castro-Rodriguez, N., Lonsdale, C., Surace, J., Franceschini, A., Wilkes, B.J., and Smith, H. Resolved Dust Emission in a Quasar at z = 3.65, 2009, ApJ, 698, L188
  5. Iono, D., Wilson, C.D., Yun, M.S., Baker, A.J., Petitpas, G.R., Peck, A.B., Krips, M., Cox, T.J., Matsushita, S., Mihos, J.C., and Pihlstrom, Y. Luminous Infrared Galaxies with the Submillimeter Array. II. Comparing the CO (3-2) Sizes and Luminosities of Local and High-Redshift Luminous Infrared Galaxies, 2009, ApJ, 695, 1537
  6. Espada, D., Matsushita, S., Peck, A., Henkel, C., Iono, D., Israel, F.P., Muller, S., Petitpas, G., Pihlstrom, Y., Taylor, G.B., and Dinh-V-Trung Disentangling the Circumnuclear Environs of Centaurus A. I. High-Resolution Molecular Gas Imaging, 2009, ApJ, 695, 116
  7. Wilson, C.D., Warren, B.E., Israel, F.P., Serjeant, S., Bendo, G., Brinks, E., Clements, D., Courteau, S., Irwin, J., Knapen, J.H., Leech, J., Matthews, H.E., Muhle, S., Mortier, A.M.J., Petitpas, G., Sinukoff, E., Spekkens, K., Tan, B.K., Tilanus, R.P.J., Usero, A., van der Werf, P., Wiegert, T., and Zhu, M. The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey. I. Star-Forming Molecular Gas in Virgo Cluster Spiral Galaxies, 2009, ApJ, 693, 1736
  8. Matsushita, S., Iono, D., Petitpas, G.R., Chou, R.C.-Y., Gurwell, M.A., Hunter, T.R., Muller, J.L.S., Peck, A.B., Sakamoto, K., Sawada Satoh, S., Wiedner, M.C., Wilner, D.J., and Wilson, C.D. SMA 12CO(J = 6-5) and 435 um Interferometric Imaging of the Nuclear Region of Arp 220, 2009, ApJ, 693, 56
  9. Younger, J.D., Fazio, G.G., Wilner, D.J., Ashby, M.L.N., Blundell, R., Gurwell, M.A., Huang, J.-S., Iono, D., Peck, A.B., Petitpas, G.R., Scott, K.S., Wilson, G.W., and Yun, M.S. The Physical Scale of the Far-Infrared Emission in the Most Luminous Submillimeter Galaxies, 2008, ApJ, 688, 59
  10. Wilson, C.D., Petitpas, G.R., Iono, D., Baker, A.J., Peck, A.B., Krips, M., Warren, B., Golding, J., Atkinson, A., Armus, L., Cox, T.J., Ho, P., Juvela, M., Matsushita, S., Mihos, J.C., Pihlstrom, Y., and Yun, M.S. Luminous Infrared Galaxies with the Submillimeter Array. I. Survey Overview and the Central Gas to Dust Ratio, 2008, ApJS, 178, 189
  11. Sakamoto, K., Wang, J., Wiedner, M.C., Wang, Z., Peck, A.B., Zhang, Q., Petitpas, G.R., Ho, P.T.P., and Wilner, D.J. Submillimeter Array Imaging of the CO(3-2) Line and 860 um Continuum of Arp 220: Tracing the Spatial Distribution of Luminosity, 2008, ApJ, 684, 957
  12. Markoff, S., Nowak, M., Young, A., Marshall, H.L., Canizares, C.R., Peck, A., Krips, M., Petitpas, G., Schodel, R., Bower, G.C., Chandra, P., Ray, A., Muno, M., Gallagher, S., Hornstein, S., and Cheung, C.C. Results from an Extensive Simultaneous Broadband Campaign on the Underluminous Active Nucleus M81*: Further Evidence for Mass-scaling Accretion in Black Holes, 2008, ApJ, 681, 905
  13. Younger, J. D.; Dunlop, J.S.; Peck, A.B.; Ivison, R.J.; Biggs, A.D.; Chapin, E.L.; Clements, D.L., Dye, S.; Greve, T.R.; Hughes, D.H.; Iono, D.; Smail, I.; Krips, M.; Petitpas, G.R.; Wilner, D.; Schael, A.M.; Wilson, C.D. Clarifying the nature of the brightest submillimeter sources: interfermetric imaging of LH850.02 , 2008, MNRAS, in press
  14. Wilson, C.~D, Petitpas, G. R., Iono, D., Peck, A., Krips, M., Warren, B. E., Baker, A. J., Yun, M. S., Pihlstrom, Y., Mihos, C., Matsushita, S., Juvela, M., Ho, P. T. P., Cox, T. J., Armus, L. Luminous infrared galaxies with the submillimeter array: probing the extremes of star formation 2008 ApJSS, 313, 297
  15. Younger, J. D.; Fazio, G. G.; Huang, J-S.; Yun, M. S.; Wilson, G. W.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Gurwell, M. A.; Lai, K.; Peck, A. B.; Petitpas, G. R.; Wilner, D. J.; Iono, D.; Kohno, K.; Kawabe, R.; Hughes, D. H.; Aretxaga, I.; Webb, T.; Martinez-Sansigre, A.; Kim, S.; Scott, K. S.; Austermann, J.; Perera, T.; Lowenthal, J. D.; Schinnerer, E.; Smolcic, V. Evidence for a Population of High-Redshift Submillimeter Galaxies from Interferometric Imaging, 2007, ApJ, 671, 1531
  16. Matsuda, Y.; Iono, D.; Ohta, K.; Yamada, T.; Kawabe, R.; Hayashino, T.; Peck, A. B.; Petitpas, G. R. High-Resolution Submillimeter Imaging of the Lyα Blob 1 in SSA 22, 2007, ApJ, 667, 667
  17. Iono, D.; Wilson, C. D.; Takakuwa, S.; Yun, M. S.; Petitpas, G. R.; Peck, A. B.; Ho, P. T. P.; Matsushita, S.; Pihlstrom, Y. M.; Wang, Z. High-Resolution Imaging of Warm and Dense Molecular Gas in the Nuclear Region of the Luminous Infrared Galaxy NGC 6240, 2007, ApJ, 659, 283
  18. Iono, D., Peck, A.B., Pope, A., Borys, C., Scott, D., Wilner, D., Gurwell, M., Ho, P., Yun, M., Matsushita, S., Petitpas, G., Dunlop, J., Elvis, M., Blain, A., LeFloc'h, E., Dey, A., Jannuzi, B., Interferometric 890 micron Images of High Redshift Submillimeter Galaxies, 2006, ApJ, 640, L1.
  19. Meech, K. J., et al., Deep Impact: Observations from a Worldwide Earth-Based Campaign, 2005, Science, 310, 265
  20. Petitpas, G. R., & Taylor C. L., A High-Resolution Mosaic of Molecular Gas in Stephan's Quintet, 2005, ApJ, 633, 138
  21. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., Molecular Gas in Candidate Double Barred Galaxies III: A Lack of Molecular Gas? , 2004, ApJ, 603, 495
  22. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., Molecular Gas in Candidate Double Barred Galaxies II: Cooler, Less Dense Gas in Nuclear Bars, 2003, ApJ, 587, 649
  23. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., Molecular Gas in Candidate Double Barred Galaxies I: The Diverse Morphology and Dynamics of NGC 2273 and NGC 5728, 2002, ApJ, 575, 814
  24. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., Temperature and Density Gradients Across the Nucleus of M82, 2000, ApJ, 538, L117
  25. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., The Physical Conditions and Dynamics of the Interstellar Medium in the Nucleus of M83: Observations of CO and [CI], 1998, ApJ, 503, 219
  26. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D. The Effect of Star Formation on Molecular Clouds in Dwarf Irregular Galaxies: IC 10 and NGC 6822, 1998, ApJ, 496, 226
  27. Harris, W. E., Durrell, P. R., Petitpas, G. R., Webb, T. M., & Woodworth, S. C., Unveiling Palomar 2: The Most Obscure Globular Cluster in the Outer Halo, 1997, AJ, 114, 1043

    ii) Unrefereed Publications:

  28. Katz, C., Petitpas, G., Gurwell, M., Peck, A., and Wilner, D. Project tracking at the Submillimeter Array: from proposals to publication, 2008, SPIE, 7016,
  29. Petitpas, G., Iono, D., Peck, A., Wilson, C., Matsushita, S., Sakamoto, K., Wang, J., Ho, P., Zhang, Q., Rots, A., Wang, Z., Yun, M., and Surace, J. SMA CO J = 3 - 2 Observations of the Antennae (NGC 4038/39), 2007, ASPC, 375, 267
  30. Peck, A.B., Iono, D., Petitpas, G.R., Pope, A., Borys, C., Dunlop, J.S., Krips, M., and Wilner, D.J. Astrometric Imaging of High-Redshift Galaxies at 345 GHz, 2007, ASPC, 375, 263
  31. Krips, M., Neri, R., Eckart, A., Barvainis, R., Peck, A., Downes, D., Planesas, P., Martin-Pintado, J., Iono, D., and Petitpas, G. Differential Lensing Effects in High-z Sources: Constraining the Size and Shape of the Emitting Regions, 2007, ASPC, 375, 250
  32. Iono, D., Wilson, C., Yun, M., Takakuwa, S., Peck, A., Petitpas, G., Ho, P., Wang, Z., and Pihlstrom, Y. High Resolution CO(3-2) and HCO+(4-3) Imaging of the Luminous Infrared Galaxy NGC 6240, 2007, IAUS, 235, 309
  33. Petitpas, G., Iono, D., Peck, A., Wilson, C., Matsushita, S., Sakamoto, K., Wang, J., Ho, P., Zhang, Q., Rots, A., Wang, Z., Yun, M., and Surace, J. Warm Gas and Temperature Gradients in the Giant Molecular Associations of the Antennae (NGC 4038/9), 2005, prpl.conf, 8317
  34. Petitpas, G. R., Das, M., Teuben, P. J., & Vogel, S. N.,The Dark Matter Content of Barred Spiral Galaxies, 2003, to appear the in proceedings of the 25th IAU Annual General Meeting, Session 220.
  35. Petitpas, G. R., Lots in Translation: A Revised Center Location for the CARMA C/D/E Arrays, CARMA Memo #23, available online at www.mmarray.org
  36. Petitpas, G. R., & Mundy, L. G., CARMA Configurations for Cedar Flat Using a 5-Arm Star Array, CARMA Memo #15, available online at www.mmarray.org
  37. Petitpas, G. R., Hybid Star/Optimal CARMA Configurations for Cedar Flat CARMA Memo #16, available online at www.mmarray.org
  38. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C.~D., Atomic Carbon in Starburst Galaxies: Missing CI (J=1-0) Emission in the Centre of M82, to appear in ``The Promise of FIRST'' (G.L. Pilbratt, J. Cernicharo, A.M. Heras, T. Prusti, & R. Harris eds., ESA SP-460, 2001)
  39. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., Molecular Gas Inflow In Barred Galaxies: Fueling Starbursts and Active Galactic Nuclei with Double Bars, in ``Star Formation from the Small to the Large Scale'' (F. Favata, A.A. Kaas & A. Wilson eds., ESA SP-445, 2000) pg 487-490
  40. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., Dynamics, Distribution, and Amount of Molecular Gas in Galaxies with NIR Isophote Twists: NGC 5728 and NGC 2273, 1999, E-Cass at www.astro.ubc.ca/E-Cass/1999-SE/petitpas/petitpas.html

    iii) Abstracts:

  41. Petitpas, G.R., Wilson, C.D., Iono, D., Krips, M., Peck, A., Warren, B., Baker, A., Yun, M.S., Pihlstrom, Y., Mihos, C., Matsushita, S., Juvela, M., Ho, P.T.P., Cox, T., and Armus, L. Luminous Infrared Galaxies with the Submillimeter Array: High Angular Resolution Observations of Warm Molecular Gas in VV 114, 2009, AAS, 41, 327
  42. Huang, Jiasheng; Fazio, G.; Younger, J.; Wilner, D.; Yun, M.; Wilson, G.; Webb, T.; Gurwell, M.; Lai, K.; Peck, A.; Petitpas, G.; Iono, D.; Kohno, K.; Kawabwe, R.; Sanders, D.; Hughes, D.; Martinez-Sansiger, A.; Kim, S SMA/AzTEC Observations of Submillimeter Galaxies in the Cosmos Field 2007, AAS, 210, 3910
  43. Krips, M.; Neri, R.; Garcia-Burillo, S.; Combes, F.; Martin, S.; Eckart, A.; Petitpas, G.; Peck, A. A HCN and HCO+ Multi-transition Line Survey in Active Galaxies: AGN versus Starburst Environments 2006, AAS, 209, 1060
  44. Petitpas, G., Peck, A., Iono, D., Wilson, C., Matsushita, S., Krips, M., Ho, P., SMA Observations of Warm Molecular Gas in Nearby Galaxies, 2005, AAS, 207, 6408
  45. Peck, A., Iono, D., Petitpas, G., Pope, A., Borys, C., Dunlop, J., Krips, M., \& Wilner, D., Astrometric Imaging of High Redshift Galaxies at 345 GHz, 2005, AAS, 207, 2206
  46. Petitpas, G., Peck, A., Iono, D., Ho, P., Matsushita, S., Wilson, C., Krips, M., Warm, Optically Thin Molecular Gas in Nearby Galaxies: NGC 2903 & NGC 3627, 2005, BAAS, 206, 3806
  47. Taylor, C. L., & Petitpas, G. R., BIMA CO (1-0) Observations of the Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy NGC 404, 2004, BAAS, 205, 9303
  48. Das, M., Petitpas, G., Teuben, P. J., Vogel, S. N., Halo and Stellar Disk Masses in the Centers of Barred Spiral Galaxies, 2003, BAAS, 202, 1407
  49. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C.~D., Do Gas Properties Determine the Nuclear Molecular Morphology of Double Barred Galaxies?, 2001, BAAS, 199, 581
  50. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C.~D., Molecular Gas Observations of Double-Barred Galaxies: How to Feed an AGN, 2000, BAAS, 197, 2103
  51. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., Physical Conditions in the Starburst Galaxy M83: Observations of [CI] and CO, 1998, JRASC, 92, 31
  52. Harris, W. E., Durrell, P. R., Petitpas, G. R., Webb, T. M., Woodworth, S. C., Revealing Palomar 2: A New Outer-halo Cluster, 1998, JRASC, 92, 28
  53. Petitpas, G. R., & Wilson, C. D., Physical Conditions of Molecular Clouds in the Irregular Galaxies IC 10 and NGC 6822, BAAS, 28, 1358
  54. Wilson, C. D., & Petitpas, G. R., Physical Conditions in Molecular Clouds in the Dwarf Irregular Galaxies IC 10 and NGC 6822, 1996, JRASC, 90, no 5/6, 328
  55. Plus 8 poster presentations at international conferences that did not publish abstracts or proceedings

    iv) Theses:

  56. Molecular Gas in the Nuclei of Barred Galaxies, 2001, Ph.D. Thesis, McMaster University, supervisor: C. D. Wilson
  57. The Interstellar Medium Near Star Forming Regions, 1997, M.Sc. Thesis, McMaster University, supervisor: C. D. Wilson
  58. Steady-State Solutions to the Oblique Cosmic Ray Mediated Magneto-Hydrodynamic Jump-Shock Conditions, 1995, B.Sc. Thesis, Saint Mary's University, supervisor: D. A. Clarke

INVITED TALKS

  1. AstroTalk (UH Hilo, May 22, 2009)
  2. Directors Summary (IfA Equinox Party, Hilo, HI, March 22, 2009)
  3. Mauna Kea Skies 3-D presentation (`Imiloa Astronomy Center, Hilo, HI, Aug 29, 2008)
  4. AstroTalk (UH Hilo, April 18, 2008)
  5. Directors Summary (IfA Equinox Party, Hilo, HI, March 22, 2008)
  6. Public Lecture (`Imiloa Astronomy Center, Hilo, HI, March 3, 2008)
  7. Public Lecture (`Imiloa Astronomy Center, Hilo, HI, Nov 5, 2007)
  8. Opening Remarks at Cosmic Questions Grand Opening (`Imiloa Astronomy Center, Hilo, HI, Nov 05, 2007)
  9. Invited Talk (CHFT, Waimea, HI, April 13, 2007)
  10. Invited Talk (Mauna Kea Visitors Center, Mauna Kea, HI, April 7, 2007)
  11. MKO Earthquake Meeting (Outrigger Hotel, Kona, HI, March 23, 2007)
  12. Directors Summary (IfA Equinox Party, Hilo, HI, March 22, 2007)
  13. Invited Talk (Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics, Victoria, BC, May, 2005)
  14. Invited Talk (Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK, April, 2004)
  15. Radio Astronomy Lab Seminar (University of California, Berkeley, November, 2003)
  16. Astronomy Lunch Series (University of Massachusetts, Amherst, March 2003)
  17. Radio Astronomy Lab Seminar (University of California, Berkeley, April, 2002)
  18. Owens Valley Radio Observatory Users Meeting (California Institute of Technology, March 1999)
  19. Joint Astronomy Center Colloquium (Hilo, Hawaii), April 1996
  20. Hamilton Amateur Astronomers (Hamilton, Ontario),

OBSERVING EXPERIENCE

  1. Submillimeter Array (SMA)
  2. Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association Array (BIMA)
  3. James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT)
  4. Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO)
  5. Five Colleges Radio Astrophysical Observatory (FCRAO)
  6. NRAO 12-meter

SELECTED AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

2003: AAS Travel Grant (to cover the cost of attending IAU 2003)Washington, DC
2000: Dawes Memorial Scholarship in Experimental Physics McMaster, ON
2000: Best Student Talk, Annual Meeting of the Canadian Astronomical Society Vancouver, BC
1999: Ontario Graduate Scholarship - Science and Technology McMaster, ON
1999: Best Student Poster, Annual Meeting of the Canadian Astronomical Society Halifax, NS

COMMITTEES
  • SMA Software Group (2006-present): Responsibilities include discussing and designing operational software for the Submillimeter array. We also project ahead to determine which software will be needed as the array grows in maturity and its user community expands.
  • CARMA Configuration Committee (2003): Responsibilities included designing a less expensive, scientifically competitive array design for the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) which will be built by combining existing BIMA and OVRO millimeter arrays. I was also responsible for verifying that the arrays will fit within the allowed site boundary and within the rugged geography.
  • CARMA Operations Committee (2003-2004): Responsibilities will included being the scientific advisor to the construction team responsible for building the concrete pads on which the antennas will be placed. I was also responsible for devising an efficient plan for the movement of antennas from one configuration to another.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
  • Co-mentor for Keaholoa STEM Program (2006): I participated in the Keaholoa STEM Program whos goal is to increase enrollment, support, and graduation rates of Native Hawaiian students at UH-Hilo in science & mathematics disciplines, and increase familiarity and the use of related technology. I co-mentored a student from UHH who was working on a project to use our SMA data to monitor atmospheric stability over the course of a year.
  • Supervisor of Undergraduate Research Project (2003): For the Spring 2003 semester at the University of Maryland I supervised an undergraduate research student who was interested in radio astronomy techniques. I trained him in spectral line reduction and analysis and a research paper will likely result from his work.
  • Teaching Assistant (1994-2001): Responsibilities include demonstrating labs, running tutorials and marking at an undergraduate level for both the McMaster Department of Physics and Astronomy and Mathematics Department and also at Saint Mary's University.
  • Planetarium Demonstrator (1996-2001): Presenting planetarium shows for a wide variety of audiences, including groups of amateur astronomers, upper level undergraduate physics students, high schools, elementary schools, special needs groups, Brownies, Beavers, Cubs, Girl Guides, and public shows that often contain a wide variety of backgrounds in the same group.

OTHER EMPLOYMENT

  • Student-Web Development (2000-2001): Created and developed McMaster Automated Class Evaluations (M.A.C.E.), a program that allows the class to submit anonymous comments on in-class presentations. It also allows instructors to collect, view, and send out all these comments grouped by either class presentation or by an individual student.
  • Consulting (2000-2001): I was contracted (in partnership with Patricia Monger) by a consulting firm to create an on-line survey where clients assess how their organization rates in the areas of strategic integration. The results will automatically recommend services provided by the consulting firm.
  • Web-Cam Security (1999): Helped McMaster Security install a series of hidden web-cams connected to the internet to allow them after hours monitoring of offices during a spell of break-ins.
  • Research Assistant: D.A. Clarke (1994-1995)
  • NSERC Undergraduate Research Assistant: D.A. Clarke (1993-1994).
  • Price Club/Costco (1993 - 1995): Warehouse worker, shelf/freezer stocker.
  • McDonalds Restaurant (1988 - 1994): Everything, including all night maintenance and truck unloading.

DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES

  • McMaster Student-Faculty Liaison Committee (1998-00)
  • McMaster Entertainment Committee (1995-96)

COMPUTER SKILLS

Languages: PHP, PERL, FORTRAN, HTML, C, some Javascript
Operating Systems: UNIX (advanced usage and some system administration)
  Linux (advanced usage and system administration)
  DOS, Windows 95/98, Windows NT
  VAX/VMS
Databases: SQL, mySQL
Data Reduction: SPECX, COMB, VISTA, IRAF, MIRIAD, IDL
Word Processing: TeX, LaTeX, font creation with MetaFont
Plotting Packages: SuperMongo, WIP, GNUplot
Graphics: Macromedia Flash 4.0, Adobe Photoshop,Adobe Illustrator 8, Photoshop Deluxe, Framemaker
  CorelDraw, The GIMP
Presentations: Microsoft PowerPoint, Corel Presentations, Framemaker

OUTREACH

  • I give regular ``Tour with an Astronomer'' sessions at the nearby `Imiloa Astronomy Center.
  • I created designed the SMA Display Booth which travels around to conferences to promote the SMA and its capabilities.
  • I designed and created the SMA page (May) of the 2006 AAS calendar.
  • I give tours of the SMA when specialty groups visit.
  • I gave live video interviews from the SMA control room in front of hundreds of people who went to UH conference rooms to watch the ``Deep Impact'' comet collision.
  • I created the website for the Canadian Astronomical Society (www.casca.ca). It is the first CASCA website to have an online search-able directory of all its members. The web page is used by over 25 people per day and has been visited by over 4000 different people from all over the world in its first eight months. It is also the host for Canada's well publicized `Long Range Plan' website describing the plans for the future of astronomy in Canada. (Update: Since I gave up control of the page, it has been heavily modified with no attention paid to logic or aesthetics. The current version does NOT reflect the original design. Even the javascript image loader had been broken.)
  • In order to help organize the Canadian astronomical community in our effort to contact all Canadian Members of Parliament to discuss Canada's Long Range Plan for astronomy in the next decade, I created the MP Outreach page (available from www.casca.ca). It acted as a `base camp' for all people who were planning on meeting with MPs. It provided all the relevant and necessary information to organize a successful meeting with local MPs. It also has an interactive database of all the members of parliament in Canada which allows CASCA Members to see who has been contacted already and enter comments on how the meetings went. A representative of the Canadian Association of Physicists has expressed interest in obtaining a copy to help organize their campaign to raise government awareness regarding a new reactor that will hopefully be built in Chalk River, Ontario.

PROGRAMMING / INTERNET

  • I have writen two scripts which allow scientists and engineers to quickly download and view SMA data. It is currently used by the engineers to check phase stability and other variables not recorded by the telescope telemetry. It is also used by the SMA scheduler to check the quality of the previous nights observations to see if a project needs to be rescheduled for that night.
  • I created and co-designed the web based SMA Observing Script Generator. Prior to this, SMA observing scripts were hand coded in PERL, often by observers with little or no PERL experience resulting in observing scripts that often crashed during the night or resulted in incorrect observing sequences. I wrote a web based interface where SMA observers simply type the names of the sources and coordinates (etc) into a web form and my PHP web page (along with Daisuke Iono's script template) create the observing scripts without the need for observers to know any PERL.
  • I designed and created the web page for the 2001 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) including a web based registration page and abstract submission page (http://casca2001.mcmaster.ca). JJ Kavelaars and I also created a secure credit card payment page from scratch. All of this was done using PHP and mySQL.
  • I wrote, developed and maintained the McMaster Automated Class Evaluation (M.A.C.E.) Software for the Physics Department. This is a web-based, database-driven program that allows students to evaluate their peers in anonymity, yet keeps track of all comments so that the class can be graded for participation based on the amount and quality of the comments they submit. It has grown into a totally interactive package that saves the instructors much paperwork.
  • I am working in conjunction with Patricia Monger on a web-based survey that will allow the consulting firm The Neufeld Group to keep track of employee opinion and morale. It will also allow new clients to determine what services The Neufeld Group can provide for them, by filling out online questionnaires.
  • As part of my B.Sc. Thesis work, I wrote FORTRAN code that would enable ZEUS-3D to treat momentum as a fourth dimension. The purpose of this was to allow calculation of cosmic ray pressure using the equation developed by J. Skilling (1975, MNRAS, 172, 557).
  • I created and maintain the current website for the Canadian Astronomical Society Graduate Student Committee. It also has an online search-able directory of all its members.
  • I created and maintain the website for the McMaster Arts and Science Programs 2nd year physics course. It also has an online search-able database of all the solutions to problems assigned in class.
  • I maintain a personal web site (http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~gpetitpas).

LANGUAGES

English (primary)
French (secondary, grade 12 level)

REFERENCES

Professor James M. (Jim) Moran
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
60 Garden St., MS 42
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone:(617) 495 7477
EMail: jmoran{at}cfa.harvard.edu

Dr. S. N. Vogel
Department of Astronomy
University of Maryland
College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A.
Phone: (301) 405 2134
Email: vogel{at}astro.umd.edu

Dr. C. D. Wilson
Department of Physics and Astronomy
McMaster University
Hamilton, ON, L8S 4M1, Canada
Phone: (905) 525 9140 x27483
EMail: wilson{at}physics.mcmaster.ca

Dr. G. Mitchell
Department of Astronomy and Physics
Saint Mary's University
Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3, Canada
Phone: (902) 420 5636
EMail: gmitchell{at}ap.stmarys.ca