Mark SubbaRao
Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
The University of Chicago
5640 S. Ellis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 702-3358
subbarao@oddjob.uchicago.edu
Born: Charlotte NC, USA April 1, 1968
Education:
 Ph.D. (Astrophysics) The Johns Hopkins University ,
Advisor: Alexander S. Szalay
Thesis: “Galaxy Luminosity Functions: Techniques, Environment and Evolution”
 MS (Astrophysics) The Johns Hopkins University,
 BS (Engineering Physics, minor in Astronomy) Lehigh University,
1989
1996
1991
Research Positions/Experience:
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Astronomer, The University of Chicago
Research Scientist, The University of Chicago
Associate Fellow, Center for Cosmological Physics
Research Associate, The University of Chicago
Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic pipeline team
Postdoctoral Fellow, The Johns Hopkins University
Research Assistant, The Johns Hopkins University
(Dr. Alexander Szalay, Advisor)
2003 - Present
2001 - Present
2002 - Present
1998 – 2001
1996 - 1998
1993 – 1996
Formal Teaching Experience:
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Teaching Assistant, The Johns Hopkins University
Graduate Stellar Evolution and Radiative Transfer
General Physics I and II, with Lab, School of Continuing Studies
Calculus II and Linear Algebra
General Physics I and II, with Lab
1992 - 1993
1991 - 1992
1990 - 1991
1989 - 1990
Education/Public Outreach Experience:
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Built a series of interactive displays (fly-throughs of the galaxy distribution, galaxy/quasar
spectra) for SDSS booth at AAS meetings
2000-2002
Created images/animations of the SDSS galaxy distribution for several media outlets:
Discovery Magazine, National Geographic, Newton Magazine (Italy), Discovery Channel
Latin America, APO visitor center.
2001-2002
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Consulted with Prof. Dan Smith on a project to develop an undergraduate astronomy
laboratory on large scale structure at South Carolina State University.
2002
Lectured on SDSS, and taught a Skyserver computer lab as part of the Chautauqua short
course for college teachers on The New Cosmology
2001
Planned, mentored and judged for the science fair at the Murray Language Academy,
Chicago IL
2001-2002
Helped design the Astronomy event for the Chicago Science Olympiad
2000-2002
Designed, wrote instruction book and taught a laboratory course in waves at Mt. Washington
Elementary School in Baltimore.
1993-1994
Performed a series of 4 optics demonstrations/labs for each of the classes in grades K-5 at
Mt. Washington Elementary School as part of NASA’s IDEA grant
1991-1994
Organizational/Supervisory Experience
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Organized/led a weekly SDSS seminar series at University of Chicago
2000-2002
Supervised undergraduate thesis student Sara Burtwell on galaxy correlation functions
2001-2002
Supervised undergraduate Eric Johnson on project to uncover superimposed galaxies in the
SDSS spectroscopic sample in an attempt to detect lensing signatures
2002
Supervised REU summer student working on topology of the galaxy distribution 2001
Supervised REU summer student working on scientific visualization using the CAVE at
Argonne National Lab
2000
Observing Experience:
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Four Nights April 1996 and Three Nights September 1996 Infrared imaging of faint galaxy
fields on the 4-meter Mayhall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory
Computer Experience:
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C/C++/Visual C++, Visual Basic, Fortran, Director, Unix, TclTk, OpenGL
Societies, Honors, etc.:
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Builder Status SDSS project
Referee, Astrophysical Journal Letters
NSF ASI Travel Award to Varenna, Italy to attend the `Enrico Fermi’
school of physics on galaxy formation
Graduated Lehigh University in three years with high honors
Tau Beta Pi, engineering honor society
Sigma Pi Sigma, freshmen honor society
1993
1989
1988
1987