Certificate in Astrobiology Course Descriptions: Workshops

Capstone Experience—Astrobiology Workshop (non-credit)
Autumn Quarter
Minimum of three workshops required.

An annual two/three-day event held at a field site or laboratory. As a group, these workshops provide students with a unifying "capstone" experience in a broad range of physical and biological sciences. Workshop participants interact closely with the other students and faculty in the AB Certificate Program.

Autumn 2000
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, California

Visits were made to labs dealing with microbial mats, the prototype for the planned Kepler mission to detect transits of extrasolar planets, and simulation of the conditions for interstellar ices and organic chemistry. Finally, we carried out an exercise centered on analyzing imagery in order to evaluate potential landing sites to search for evidence of life on Mars.

Spring 2004
Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater
Northern Arizona

Hiking through the Canyon; tour of the Crater

Autumn 2005
UW Friday Harbor Laboratory
San Juan Island, Washington

Marine biology and paleontology in the San Juan Islands.

Spring 2005
Kitt Peak National Observatory
Tucson, Arizona

Solar astronomy, radio astronomy of interstellar molecules, optical and infrared astronomy of star-forming regions.

Autumn 2006
Yellowstone National Park

Hydrothermal systems and microbial communities. View a brief video.

Autumn 2007
Eastern Washington

Channeled Scablands evidence for Lake Missoula flood events.

Autumn 2008
Mt Baker, Washington

Glaciers, ice, and microbial life in ice.