Skip to main content
Intellect

BYU student honored at American Astronomical Society meeting

Brigham Young University graduate student Tabitha Bush won the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award at the American Astronomical Society meetings Jan. 4-8.

Bush is the first BYU student to receive the award, which she received for her research on measuring the rotational velocity of stars. She will also receive a Chambliss engraved medal and certificate for her achievement.

“In astronomy, research is very important, and I feel like my research was taken seriously by colleagues in my field,” Bush said. “This award provides even more credibility for research at BYU, as students who have received this award come from well-respected science universities.”

During the largest astronomy conference in the United States, Bush presented her master’s thesis research on the velocity of stars, including a guide of 118 stars she measured.

“Knowing the velocity of stars helps us peer inside the stars, since we can’t see past the surface with our eyes,” said Eric Hintz, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy as well as co-author of Bush’s journal article. “Every time one of the stars in her study is referenced, they’ll reference her publication.”

Bush’s research was published in the Astronomical Journal in September 2008.

“It is impressive to have one of our students come out on top, because she was competing against graduate students from every astronomy program in the country,” Hintz said. “Her example provided a boost of confidence to all our students who will aspire to win similar awards.”

For more information, contact Eric Hintz at (801) 422-4168.

Writer: Angela Fischer

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Wildfires in residential areas are on the rise; why hydrants and the water system behind them were never meant to stop those fires

July 01, 2025
BYU professor Rob Sowby teaches and studies environmental engineering, urban water infrastructure and sustainability. He has particular expertise in the planning, design, construction and operation of public water systems. That expertise has been increasingly important (and regularly sought out) in the wake of apocalyptic wildfires that have taxed those public water systems.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Meet the BYU math student helping make wildfire predictions faster and smarter

June 25, 2025
Using machine learning and math, a BYU student improved a key tool firefighters rely on during wildfire season
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Geology meets history: BYU professor studies WWII shrapnel on Normandy beaches

June 05, 2025
Eighty years after D-Day, BYU geologists uncover lingering WWII shrapnel on Normandy beaches to study how history still shapes the coastline today.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=