Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA)

Terry Oswalt, Ph.D., Professor, Physics and Space Sciences, Director

SARA is a consortium of six universities led by Florida Tech that operates a one-meter-class automated telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. The SARA members are Florida Tech, East Tennessee State University, the University of Georgia, Valdosta State University, Florida International University and Clemson University. Using an innovative, computer-controlled operating system, the observatory can operate interactively with an astronomer on-site as well as remotely from SARA institution campuses. Observational data are transferred to SARA institutions via a high-speed link to the Internet and are also made available to other astronomers around the world. In addition to faculty research activities in a wide variety of areas such as stellar evolution, active galaxy dynamics and origins of the universe, SARA operates a unique, multi-institution Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation. Each year, this program provides summer internships to about a dozen students selected from around the country and offers an opportunity for these students to work one-on-one with faculty on research projects. The SARA REU program is one of the largest astronomy internship programs in the United States.