Meet the Team

Brian is a planetary astronomer and the principal investigator for CIDSRSN. He likes reading sci-fi, running, and playing classical guitar. 

You can read more about his research on his website – astrojack.com/.

Kaitlyn’s degree is in Anthropology but after college found her love and passion for marketing and event planning. She enjoys hiking with her dogs, trying new restaurants with her hubby and learning all about Astronomy.

Rachel is the Postdoctoral Research Fellow for CIDSRSN, splitting her time between outreach events, teaching, and exoplanetary research. Rachel’s love of astronomy began during her undergraduate studies at Northern Arizona University, and her passion for public outreach was cemented during her time working as a Public Program Educator at the Lowell Observatory.

Jan has spent the last 10 years as an Associate Clinical Professor at Boise State helping to educate the next generation of STEM teachers.  Jan previously taught for 21 years in public schools, and uses this experience to guide future teachers.

After years working as a geologist and high school science teacher, Matt has been preparing secondary science teachers as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Boise State’s STEM education program. He also helps provide support and professional development to inservice science teachers.

Carol Cole is currently President of the Idaho Dark Sky Alliance, a non-profit that coordinates efforts to protect the night sky within the Central Idaho Darky Sky Reserve. Her work with the Reserve started in 2015 as the Forest Service Representative on the planning team. Carol has over 30 years of experience working for the Forest Service, National Park Service and other parks and natural resource organizations. Her work in environmental education and interpretation, partnership and volunteer coordination and public outreach is centered on a passion for connecting people with the natural environment.

Chandler Beasley is currently in her second year at Boise State. She is majoring in Physics with an emphasis in Astrophysics and Secondary Education. She absolutely loves anything space-related and has a passion for sharing that information with the public and in the classroom. Her favorite things to do when she isn’t doing outreach is to stargaze, listen to a wide variety of music, and go rock-hounding!

Sean Halford is currently a Junior at Boise State, majoring in Physics with an emphasis in Astronomy. He’s a galaxy fanatic who aims to contribute to the field of Cosmology after graduation. Following his passion for astronomy, Sean loves to bring the cosmos within reach, and enjoys questions about deep space and the expansion of our universe. An avid backpacker and skier, Sean is no stranger to the incredible night sky that the mountains of Idaho have to offer! He believes that through outreach, anyone can be a part of the preservation and appreciation of Idaho’s dark sky reserve :)

Allison Howard is an undergraduate physics student at Boise State University. She has also received an associate’s in business administration from the College of Southern Idaho. While growing up in rural Idaho, Allison developed a love of stargazing and learning about unique astronomical events. She is incredibly excited to work with those in CIDSRSN to educate people about earth and space science.

Arianna Japalucci is an astrophysics major at Boise State University. She just moved to Idaho last year from Nevada, where she attended the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Her hobbies include hiking, gardening, photography, and playing Animal Crossing. She also loves traveling and is part of a military family, so she has moved around a lot. She hopes to become a researcher in astrophysics in the future.

Killian is an Astrophysics Major in his 4th semester. He enjoys sci-fi, star gazing, and hiking. In his free time, he is known to play Dungeons and Dragons as well as Magic the Gathering. He is an Eagle Scout with Troop 255 out of Middleton.

Hi! My name is Braydon Dietrich, I was born in Meridian, Idaho, and now live in Nampa! I’m a Sophomore physics student in Boise State with an emphasis on Astrophysics! I love videogames, animals, and Legos! Here are some fun facts about myself: My birthday (December 16th) is the same day the Boston tea party happened, and my last name is “Ruler of the people” in German!