Castelaz 9500756 This award is made under the auspices of the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program. As a CAREER awardee the investigator is expected to pursue an active education plan in addition to his scientific research project. This research project will establish a program of frequent spectroscopic and photometric observations of long-period, Mira-type variables. The observations will provide substantial data needed to understand the relationship between their spectra and light curves. It will search for Mira variables with companions, important for estimating the absolute magnitudes of the variable stars. The education component covered by this award includes incorporation of more research methodology into the undergraduate introductory astronomy class, development of an observational astronomy laboratory-type class and a physics senior major project related to the research project on Mira variables.
