College of Sciences
Department of Astronomy Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Message from Leadership
Dear Donor, The era of “big data” in astronomy is upon us. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory recently started a 10-year deep survey of the Southern Hemisphere sky, giving our students and faculty an enormous opportunity to make discoveries and answer questions about our universe. I am inspired by our students and the hard work they do to achieve their goals. Despite the heavy academic workload, many of them find time to give back and contribute to our outreach program. As they go out into the community to talk about their love of astronomy, our students are our best ambassadors. Students, faculty, and staff in the Department of Astronomy feel the positive impact of philanthropy. Scholarship support can make a big difference to our undergraduate majors, especially in their final two years, when the academic rigor is the greatest. Our graduate program is growing and becoming stronger now that we can offer substantial support to graduate students. Astronomical questions are some of the most exciting questions one can ask, and we are grateful that you can help us share in that excitement.
Jerome A. Orosz, Ph.D. Professor and Chair of Astronomy
Philanthropy
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward Lucian Crosthwaite and Wendy Morrison Fellowship in Astronomy Endowment The Department of Astronomy received a generous gift to establish the Lucian Crosthwaite and Wendy Morrison Fellowship in Astronomy Endowment, which supports graduate students pursuing advanced study and research in astronomy. The fellowship enables students to dedicate more time to scholarly inquiry, scientific discovery, and professional development. George Ream Endowed Fund The Department of Astronomy received a generous gift to establish the George Ream Endowed Fund, which provides flexible support for the department’s highest-priority needs. Funding may support research initiatives, equipment and technology purchases, conference participation, travel, and curriculum development, strengthening astronomy programs and resources for students and faculty alike.
A student researcher operates a telescope at SDSU’s Mount Laguna Observatory, gaining handson experience in astronomical observation and research.
Astronomy students participate in a hands-on classroom activity designed to strengthen observational and scientific reasoning skills.
Student Spotlight
Thriving in the Aztec Experience Steven Cromwell, Class of 2027 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Sciences Major: Astronomy My journey with research began with the STARTastro internship I participated in before transferring to SDSU last year. STARTastro is a program hosted between UCSD and SDSU where transfer students interested in astronomy can experience astronomical research. I was paired with Dr. Orosz to look for Tatooine-style planets, which are planets that orbit two stars. While surveying stellar datasets in the Eagle Nebula, I discovered an eclipsing binary star system that was previously believed to be a single star. After telling Dr. Orosz, we confirmed this through spectroscopic data. From this discovery, I attended the American Astronomical Society Convention in January. The experience was extremely insightful and solidified my interest in low-mass stellar evolution. I also shared my findings at a press conference with astronomers, reporters, and space enthusiasts. I am currently working with Dr. Orosz and Dr. Guillermo Torres at Harvard to gather more data and work toward publishing our findings. This project has shown me not only how research is done but also the kind of research I hope to pursue in graduate school.
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While surveying stellar datasets in the Eagle Nebula, I discovered an eclipsing binary star system that was previously believed to be a single star.
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Points of Pride
Celebrating Shared Success Statistics of Interest San Diego State University is the only institution in the California State University system with an independent Department of Astronomy. The department also operates Mount Laguna Observatory, a premier research and teaching facility located in the Cleveland National Forest east of San Diego. The Department of Astronomy enrolled 91 undergraduate majors and 14 graduate students in fall 2025. During the 2025-26 academic year, the department awarded five bachelor’s degrees and four master’s degrees. Recent Highlights As part of its commitment to preparing students for careers in the era of big data, the Department of Astronomy will launch a new Bachelor of Science emphasis in data science in fall 2026. The program is designed to strengthen students’ scientific, statistical, and communication skills while working with large datasets to address astronomical questions. The department continues to provide students with hands-on research experiences. In 2026, alumnus Jaden Levine, class of 2025, summa cum laude, published a first-author paper on barium stars in The Astrophysical Journal under the mentorship of Professor Kate Rubin. He will begin a Ph.D. program at New Mexico State University in fall 2026.
CSU Distinction
SDSU is the only CSU with an independent Department of Astronomy and operates Mount Laguna Observatory for research and teaching.
Student Growth
Astronomy enrolled 105 students in Fall 2025 and awarded nine degrees during the 2025-26 Academic Year.
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Kate Rubin, Ph.D. Title: Associate Professor, Department of Astronomy Graduate Advisor College: College of Sciences Achievement: Dr. Kate Rubin was recently promoted to full professor, effective fall 2026. Dr. Rubin has been a member of the Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC) of the Arthur M. Wolfe Symposium in Astrophysics since its inception in 2016. The Wolfe Symposium, held biennially, brings together experts on the physics of diffuse gas around galaxies from across the globe to share ideas and foster new collaborations. The symposium honors the memory and scientific contributions of Arthur M. Wolfe, astrophysicist and member of the physics faculty at UC San Diego from 1989 to 2014. The 2026 Wolfe Symposium was held at the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe in Tokyo, Japan, from March 16 to 19 and included 60 participants, 46 of whom presented new scientific results. As a member of the SOC, Dr. Rubin also helped design and lead a session on equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts in astronomy in honor of Margaret Burbidge, another former UC San Diego faculty member and giant in the field. The session focused on confronting ableism in academia.
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Congratulations Dr. Rubin for your recent promotion to full professor!
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Thank you for your generous support.
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