Martin Connors

11560 80 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 0R9 (780) 435-8761
martinc@cs.athabascau.ca

My Ph.D. research at the University of Alberta concentrated on the currents associated with the auroras, studied with a widely applicable nonlinear optimization technique. The opportunity to be a full-time student after many years of work experience allowed me to also explore other areas of planetary geophysics, mainly to do with impact craters, and this is now my main research area. My ongoing employment with Athabasca University has given me experience in teaching, as has an academic session spent teaching physics, mathematics, and statistics in the French faculty of the University of Alberta. Scientific research and teaching are my main interests.

Interests and Research Projects

• geomagnetism (electric currents associated with auroras)
• geophysics (impact processes, craters, remote sensing)
• instruction of physical sciences (astronomy, physics, mathematics)
• scientific computing (mathematical modelling and scientific data analysis)

Courses Taught:

Athabasca University

Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics (SCIE 280/ASTR 200) 1989-present

Introduction to Statistics (MATH 215) 1996-present

Introductory Physics (PHYS 200/201/274) 1996-present

Universe: The Ultimate Frontier (ASTR 205) 1995-present

Linear Algebra I (MATH 270) 1992

Faculté Saint-Jean, University of Alberta

Calcul Élementaire I I (MATHQ 115) 1995

Introduction à la Statistique (STATQ 141) 1995

Calcul Élementaire I (MATHQ 114) 1994

Calcul Élementaire I avec laboratoire (MATHQ 113) 1994

Mécanique (PHYSQ 141) 1994

Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta

History of Ancient Science and Technology (with M. Hertwig-Jaksch) 1994

Minerva Institute for Seniors' Studies, Grant MacEwen Community College

Science, Pseudoscience, and Non-Science 1994, 1993 (with D. P. Hube)

History of Astronomy 1992 Introductory Astronomy 1991

Department of Physics, University of Alberta

First-year laboratories instructor, 1992, 1978-79

Employment History

Assistant Professor, Athabasca University 1996-present

Course Coordinator, Athabasca University (part time academic position) 1995

Tutor, Athabasca University (part time quasi-academic position) 1989-1995

- Mathematics and Physics (also Astronomy)

Chargé de Cours (sessional lecturer), Faculté Saint-Jean, University of Alberta 1994-95

- teaching in mathematics, physics, statistics

Programmer/Analyst III/IV Department of Physics, University of Alberta 1982-1992

- programming and management of computers utilised in scientific research

- planning and development of a major scientific computing facility for the Networks of Centres of Excellence in Space Research

University Degrees:

Ph.D. - Physics, University of Alberta 1998

M.Sc. - Physics, University of Alberta 1979

B.Sc. (Honours) - Applied Mathematics, University of Western Ontario 1977

Societies:

American Geophysical Union

Association Canadienne-Française pour l'Avancement des Sciences

Canadian Astronomical Society

Planetary Society

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

Scholarships:

1992-1993 Walter Johns Fellowship (University of Alberta)

1992-1993 National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Special

Postgraduate Scholarship for Employed Scientists and Engineers

1981-1982 NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship

Other expertise:

Programming languages:

C and FORTRAN (expert level); Pascal and assembler Z80 (familiarity)