J.W. Dodd Middle School lead science teacher Thomas Doyle and three of his best students, Rajiv Chanda, Adrian Payamps and Rebecca Robles, are participating in a research program funded by NASA designed to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding active galactic nuclei, more commonly referred to as black holes, in the center of galaxies. They will use archival data from the WISE and GALEX space telescopes to create diagrams to compare luminosity against temperature in their search for answers.
Mr. Doyle is the only teacher chosen from New York State and one of only two middle school teachers selected. "That Mr. Doyle was chosen energizes the science department and opens a new door for us that was not open before," said District Science Coordinator Dr. Vincent Pereira. The three students will be accompanying Mr. Doyle to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to meet with the other participants from across the country this summer. After completing the program, Mr. Doyle will incorporate his experiences into his classroom lessons and share valuable insight with other teachers in Freeport.
