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Visiting Tutor for "Astronomy" Erin Bonning obtained her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. It was the science elements of the interdisciplinary "great books" program which captivated her the most, and she went on to obtain a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas at Austin. Her dissertation research was primarily in numerical relativity, where she worked on simulating the orbit and coalescence of binary black holes. Her research has expanded to encompass many aspects of black hole astrophysics, with particular emphasis on supermassive black holes in active galaxies. These black holes - with millions of times the mass of the sun - are currently feeding on matter from their host galaxies and occasionally launching jets of relativistic particles thousands of light years in extent. She carries out observations across the electromagnetic spectrum in order to understand these phenomena. Erin has always believed that science is an integral part of a liberal education and is excited to engage with the students of Quest in an exploration of the astrophysical universe. Erin is a docent at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, where she loves telling children (big and small) all about the dinosaurs in the Great Hall of the museum. She has an abiding interest in paleontology and is always searching for a way to combine research in black holes with research in dinosaurs, so far without luck. Stress relief includes gardening, reading, training for marathons, and Crossfit. |
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