Welcome to the online home of TAURUS (Texas Astronomy Undergraduate Research experience for Under-represented Students). TAURUS was a program than ran in the University of Texas at Austin's Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory from summer 2016 through the summer of 2022. The program is currently on hiatus given the outcome of Texas State Senate Bill 17 which takes effect January 1, 2024 (the program had two previous pauses, one due to COVID-19 and one due to the maternity leave of the project PI). What remains on this site is a description of the program goals and a record of our activities pertaining to the years 2016-2023.
Mission Statement:
The TAURUS program is a full-time, 9-week summer research experience for highly-motivated undergraduate students from underserved and traditionally marginalized groups. We prepare these excellent students to enter graduate school in top-rated astronomy programs or the STEM workforce by providing authentic research experiences, ongoing professional development, and community support beyond the conclusion of the summer program.
Research topics available to students range from planets around other stars and stellar evolution, to galaxy formation and evolution and astronomical instrumentation. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will host a number of mini-workshops throughout the summer for TAURUS students to discuss topics related to astronomy careers, programming, research, scientific writing, and much more. Students also take a trip to McDonald Observatory, a cutting-edge astronomical facility in West Texas.
Students in the TAURUS program are provided housing on the University of Texas at Austin campus as well as travel funds for their trip to and from Austin. In addition, the students will receive competitive stipends. Pending supervisor approval, students will also get the opportunity to attend a winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society to present a poster on their work.