Dr. Metevier is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research will focus on characterizing the galaxy populations of distant groups with the goal of advancing our understanding of the physical processes that govern galaxy evolution. At high redshifts, galaxy groups are essentially an unexplored density regime, yet they are key to our understanding of galaxy evolution, as they bridge the density gap between the comparatively well-studied galaxy cluster and field environments. Dr. Metevier will define a catalog of galaxy groups at a redshift of about 1, and then measure constituent galaxies' masses, structural parameters, and star formation characteristics. She will then relate these measurements to the physical processes which may be affecting them by comparison with theoretical predictions.
Dr. Metevier will also work with under-represented community college students. She will develop and teach an astronomy laboratory short course at Hartnell College, a local minority-serving institution, with the goal of providing students with a knowledge base and experiences highly relevant to CfAO research. Beyond the short course, she will continue to advise the students through the CfAO's Paired Mentoring Program and recruit them for the CfAO's Summer Internship Program. ***
