Steve Kawaler's Home Page

(here is what I look like.)
(another image is here; I'm the one on the right)
(still another is here; I'm the one in the middle)

Third Contact in Aruba!
February 26, 1998, 2:12PM
Photo © 1998; S. & L. Kawaler

Saturn, January 12, 2003,
Questar + Quickcam

Lunar Eclipse,
May 15, 2003

Third Contact Brandon, Manitoba
February 26, 1979, 10:46AM
Photo © 1979; S. Kawaler

Teaching

Astro 150: Stars, Galaxies, & Cosmology (Fall 2020)

Astro 580: Stellar Astrophysics (Spring 2020)

Astro 120: The Sky and the Solar System (Fall 2019)

Astro 250: Astronomy Bizarre (Spring 2014)

Astro 342: Solar System Astronomy (Fall 2006)

Astro 405/505: Astrophysics
(Fall 2002)

Other Astro courses at ISU

Research

I am a Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy in the Astronomy Program which is part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Iowa State University

My work primarily involves exploring the interior structure and evolution of stars. I use various techniques, but really enjoy using the subtle variations in the brightness (and surface oscillations) of stars as probes of their interior structure (asteroseismology).

I'm a member of the Steering Committee for the Kepler Asteroseismology Research Consortium (KASC), and for the TESS Asteroseismology Research Cosortium (TASC). We're exploiting the asteroseismology that can be done on data that the the Kepler. K2, and TESS missions have and will provide in the hunt for Earthlike planets around other stars. More here. Some further insight at

Some thoughts on the public funding of Kepler

Universe Today
A piece in Urban Plains

Various other media appearances

My research into the interiors of stars has involved the Whole Earth Telescope. The Whole Earth Telescope website contains links to the study of the seismology of pulsating stars

for some fun highlights, see the following links to WET in the popular press

I'm past president (2009-2010) of the ISU Chapter of Sigma Xi
If you really want to see them, my official curriculum vita has links to research papers that describe my various research interests, etc.
Some old HTML presentations
- Images from the 2005 Fick Observatory Calendar
- and 2004, 2003, and 2002.
- A brief intro to Astrophysics at Iowa State circa 2006.
- The Whole Earth Telescope from a public lecture on technology and astronomy
- 10 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope - a public talk from 2001