diff --git a/wiki/source/images/astronomy_student_faculty_ratio_AIP.png b/wiki/source/images/astronomy_student_faculty_ratio_AIP.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c0e7385 Binary files /dev/null and b/wiki/source/images/astronomy_student_faculty_ratio_AIP.png differ diff --git a/wiki/source/program/advising_students.rst b/wiki/source/program/advising_students.rst index 4a318a2..c3fc107 100644 --- a/wiki/source/program/advising_students.rst +++ b/wiki/source/program/advising_students.rst @@ -2,10 +2,62 @@ .. _advising_students: -================= -Advising Students -================= +===================== +Advising Undergrads +===================== -.. admonition:: Under Construction +.. admonition:: Needs Further Input - This page is a work in progress. Content is coming soon — if you have knowledge to share, see :ref:`contributing` to get involved! + This page would benefit from input from grads who have previously advised undergrads at Berkeley. If this applies to you, please see :ref:`contributing` to add your experience and/or expect to hear from Ben in the near future! + +Challenges Facing UC Berkeley Undergrads +---------------------------------------- + +UC Berkeley has an unusually imbalanced astronomy student-to-faculty ratio: +as of Spring 2026, there are a few hundred declared Astrophysics majors (i.e., sophomores, juniors, and seniors) +and 13 senate faculty. The following figure from +`a 2022 study by the American Institute of Physics `_ +shows the distribution of "Astronomy Departments" (that is, separate from physics) +at US schools over graduating class size and number of full-time faculty. +The AIP does not publish which marker on this plot corresponds to which department, but the upper-leftmost outlier +is consistent with Berkeley's Astrophysics class and Astronomy faculty sizes in 2020 (and the imbalance has worsened since then). + +.. image:: ../images/astronomy_student_faculty_ratio_AIP.png + :width: 440px + :align: center + +As you might expect, this makes it extremely difficult for undergrads at Berkeley +to find research opportunities, especially in their first two years. +In an increasingly selective grad admissions environment, +there is also substantial pressure on any undergrads pursuing grad school to find such opportunities *somehow*. + +For an astronomy grad at Berkeley, there is no requirement to mentor undergrads on research projects or in any other way. +However, if you do choose to take on mentees, you make an enormous difference in their lives. + +This page lists opportunities for mentorship and +gives accounts by grad students who have previously mentored undergrads of their experiences. +The list is not exhaustive and other pathways may be possible, but grads are encouraged to mentor undergrads through +tried-and-true university and/or department pathways to maximize benefit to the student through indicators like +faculty letters of rec. + +Advising Opportunities +---------------------- + +.. admonition:: To Be Expanded: Advising Opportunities + + This section will be expanded with resources for publicizing research opportunities, getting involved with MPS Scholars, + and supporting undergrads in less intensive ways. + +Research Fairs +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +MPS Scholars +^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +.. admonition:: To Be Expanded: DeCals + + This section will be expanded with information on DeCals, including Caleb's recent exoplanet RV DeCal + `(C. K. Harada et al. 2024) `_. + +SPORES-HWO RV Hunters +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +