Dr. Alex Harrison Parker
Principal Investigator, SETI Institute
Higher Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy: 2011
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Bachelors of Science in Physics & Astronomy; Honors in Astronomy: 2007
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Associates in Arts and Science, Physics; Honors: 2005
Whatcom Community College, Bellingham, WA, USA.
PhD Details
“Ultra-Wide Trans-Neptunian Binaries: Tracers of the Outer Solar System’s History”
Advisor: Dr. JJ Kavelaars, Canadian Astronomy Data Centre, National Research Council of Canada
Enrolled September 2007; Defended July 2011; Awarded November 2011.
Professional Appointments
SETI Institute - Principal Investigator
2021 — Present. Carl Sagan Center, Mountain View, CA.
Southwest Research Institute - Principal Scientist
2019 — 2021. SwRI Space Sciences division, Boulder, CO.
Southwest Research Institute - Senior Research Scientist
2017 — 2019. SwRI Space Sciences division, Boulder, CO.
Southwest Research Institute - Research Scientist
2015 — 2017. SwRI Space Sciences division, Boulder, CO.
Southwest Research Institute - Postdoctoral Fellow
2014 — 2015. SwRI Space Sciences division, Boulder, CO.
University of California at Berkeley - Postdoctoral Fellow
2013 — 2014. University of California at Berkeley, Dept. of Astronomy, Berkeley CA.
New Horizons Outer Solar System Science Fellow
2011 — 2013. Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, Inst. for Theory & Computation, Cambridge MA.
National Science Foundation — Graduate Research Fellow Abroad
2008 — 2011. University of Victoria, Dept. of Astronomy, Victoria BC Canada.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
2005 — 2007. University of Washington, Dept. of Astronomy, Seattle WA.
SETI Institute + National Science Foundation Intern
2006. Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, Mountain View CA.
Invited Reviews and Colloquia
April 2021: Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032: Panel on Small Solar System Bodies Meeting Ten. Past and Future Exploration of Trans-Neptunian Space.
October 2015: Department colloquium, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
January 2015: "Adler After Dark" and department colloquium, Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL.
August 2014: Invited review presentation on trans-Neptunian Object dynamics. Small Bodies Dynamics meeting, Brazil.
July 2013: "The Excited Neptune Trojans: Evidence for a Pre-Heated Disk" Southwest Research Institute Colloquium, Boulder, CO.
November 2012: "Exploring Trans-Neptunian Space with New Horizons" Yale Center for Astrophysics Fall Seminar, New Haven, CT.
October 2012: "Exploring Trans-Neptunian Space with New Horizons" and "Binaries, Collisions, and the History of the Outer Solar System" Northern Arizona University Astronomy Department colloquium and outer solar system group seminar, Flagstaff, AZ.
Awards, Honors, and Service
2017 - NASA Group Achievement Award for involvement in New Horizons Pluto flyby.
2015 - John Hunter Excellence in Plotting Contest award for Painted Stone.
2014 - Kavli Fellow, National Academy of Science.
2013 - Asteroid (345842) named “Alexparker” by IAU.
2013 - CERN “Data Visualization Award” at Imagine Science Film Festival.
2010 - Recipient of the AAS Rodger Doxsey Travel Prize ($500).
2008-2011 - National Science Foundation Fellow Abroad ($121,500).
2007 - UW-STF grant for campus observatory upgrade ($47,000).
2007 - University of Washington Departmental Honors in Astronomy.
2007 - University of Washington Dean’s Scholar.
2006 - John Baer Prize Award, UW Astronomy Department ($350).
2005 - Whatcom Community College Dean’s Scholar.
2005 - Whatcom Community College Merit Tuition Scholarship ($2,000).
2004-2005 President of local Phi Theta Kappa chapter.
2003-2005 - Honors Program, Whatcom Community College.
2003 -2005 - Member of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society.
Referee for the Astrophysical Journal, Publication of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and Icarus
Education and Public Outreach
2019 — present: Project lead, Open Telerobotics Rover project.
2019 — present: Project lead, Tactile Telescope project.
2015: Co-developed "Pluto Time" widget.
2015: Guest on "SciShow" long-form episode describing New Horizons.
2015: Speaker at Denver ComicCon.
2011 — 2015: Produced series of web-based animations illustrating a variety of astronomical phenomena, which have been widely circulated. “Worlds” animation honored with CERN/CinéGlobe "Data Visualization Award" at the 2013 Imagine Science Film Festival in New York City, and will be shown at March 2014 CinéGlobe International Film Festival at CERN.
2013: Guided Bay School of San Francisco class in multi-night visit to Aardvark Observatory.
2013 — 2013: Translated Kepler data for animators of PBS NOVA documentary "Alien Planets Revealed."
2012 — 2013: Guest blogger for the Planetary Society blog.
2011: Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Speaker: Wide Binaries in the Kuiper Belt.
2011: Guest lecture for University of Victoria ASTR 255: Introduction to Planetary Science.
2009—2010: Lab development and instruction for undergraduate Astronomy course ASTR 201 "Search For Life in the Universe." Developed lab activities including detection of Vegetation Red Edge, detection of microbial life by metabolic byproducts, measurement of greenhouse gas effect from CO2, impact simulation and frequency of giant impacts, and others.
2009: Member of the University of Victoria Speakers Bureau.
2009: Maintained “International Year of Astronomy” events website for Victoria, BC.
2007: Awarded $47,000 grant to upgrade research facilities for future Astronomy undergraduates at the University of Washington.
2007: University of Washington Robinson Center Teaching Assistant for “Physics of Roller Coasters” 5th-6th grade program.
2007: Coursework at University of Washington: Astro 270 "Outreach in Astronomy" and Astro 500 "Practical Methods for Teaching Astronomy."
2005: Construction of a 21 MHz radio telescope receiver and amplifier for future Whatcom Community College Astronomy labs.
CV last updated October 5, 2021.