Heliophysics Science Division

C. Alex Young

(Associate Director for Science Communicaton)

C. Alex Young's Contact Card & Information.
Email: c.a.young@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.4441
Org Code: 670
Address:
NASA/GSFC
 Mail Code 670
 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer:
NASA

Brief Bio

Dr. C. Alex Young is the Associate Director for Science Communication in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. In this role, he oversees and coordinates the division's science communication. This includes developing tools, resources, and training for the NASA workforce to reach many audiences. He also works with the division scientists to promote and support their research and coordinates this work with the center, agency, and beyond.


In graduate school at the University of New Hampshire, Dr. Young studied the high-energy astrophysics of cosmic gamma-ray bursts and gamma-ray solar flares.


He joined the NASA/ESA SOHO mission after graduate school as a Solar Astrophysicist with the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT). He also served as a staff scientist for the STEREO mission and as a Chief Observer for Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope. Working in this area grew his interest in image processing, which he combined with his love of statistics and data analysis. It was this with the help of some of his colleagues that led to his establishment of the Solar Image Processing Workshops or SIPWork. Over the years, Young has helped organize and run 5 workshops and edited 3 special topic Solar Physics journal volumes on Solar Image Processing. Part of what he enjoys about data analysis topics is the sharing of knowledge with the solar and astrophysics communities. This has led to his participation with the California Harvard Astrostatisics Collaboration (CHASC) and serve as a member and current chair of the American Astronomical Society's (AAS) Astrostatistics and Astroinformatics Working Group.


Dr. Young's passion for sharing knowledge has also been fueled by giving public lectures, television and radio interviews for NASA/TV, and participation in several Discovery Channel documentaries. To further this outreach, he established the suntoday Facebook fan page and the complementary website thesuntoday.org. These link to a Twitter feed and YouTube channel.


Dr. Young co-led NASA's public engagement efforts for the 2017 total solar eclipse.


Dr. Young led the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT) and its earlier incarnations from 2015 to 2021.


Dr. Young is married with cats. He enjoys running, traveling, watching movies, and playing video games in his spare time.


SHORT BIO:

Dr. C. Alex Young is a NASA solar astrophysicist studying space weather in our solar system and beyond. He serves as the Associate Director for Science in the Heliophysics science division. Dr. Young’s focus is to help make science communication approachable for the broad NASA community. He has taken his work in space weather; education, public outreach and media work for NASA; and love of science fiction to enrich his goal to help all become better communicators. Dr. Young also helped lead NASA’s national engagement efforts for the 2017 total solar eclipse and one of the agencies largest public outreach events ever.

Research Interests

Positions/Employment

Associate Director for Science Communication

Heliophysics Science Division - NASA/GSFC

July 2012 - Present

Lead science communication for the Division's projects and programs and coordinate this activity with NASA HQ, GSFC, and the science community. Ensure the flow of information on the Divisions science activities both within and outside the Division. Continue heliophysics science research.

Senior Support Scientist

ADNET Systems, Inc. - NASA/GSFC

June 2006 - July 2012

Supported operations and science for the SOHO mission including the EIT, LASCO and CDS instruments as well as the STEREO mission's science support center.

Senior Support Scientist

L-3 Communications, Government Services - NASA/GSFC

January 2003 - June 2006

Supported operations and science for the SOHO mission including the EIT, LASCO and CDS instruments as well as the STEREO mission's science support center.

Support Scientist

L-3 Communications, EER Systems Inc. - NASA/GSFC

October 2002 - January 2003

Supported operations and science for the SOHO mission including the EIT, LASCO and CDS instruments.

Support Scientist

L-3 Communications Analytics - NASA/GSFC

January 2002 - October 2002

Supported operations and science for the SOHO mission including the EIT, LASCO and CDS instruments.

Support Scientist

Emergent Information Technologies - NASA/GSFC

September 2000 - January 2002

Supported operations and science for the SOHO mission including the EIT, LASCO and CDS instruments.

Education

B.S. in Physics from Florida State Unviersity in 1991

Masters in Physics at the University of New Hampshire in 1996

Ph.D. in physics at the University of New Hampshire in 2001

 

Professional Societies

American Geophysical Union

1997 - Present

American Astronomical Society

1996 - Present

American Association for the Advancement of Science

2016 - Present

Professional Service


 2014 - Solar Information Procssing Workshop VII SOC
 2012 - Solar Information Processing Workshop VI SOC
 2010 - Solar Image Processing Workshop V SOC
 2008 - Solar Image Processing Workshop IV LOC Chair/SOC
 2006 - Solar Image Processing Workshop III SOC
 2004 - Solar Image Processing Workshop II LOC/SOC

Publications

Refereed

2013. "Preface." Solar Physics 283 3-4 [10.1007/s11207-013-0254-3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2013. "Energy Release from Impacting Prominence Material Following the 2011 June 7 Eruption." The Astrophysical Journal 776 [L12-10.1088/2041-8205/776/1/L12] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "A Bayesian Analysis of the Correlations Among Sunspot Cycles." Solar Physics 281 847-862 [10.1007/s11207-012-0090-x] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Automatic Detection and Characterization of EIT Waves Observed by AIA Data." American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #220 220 #201.17- [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Coronal mass ejection detection using wavelets, curvelets and ridgelets: Applications for space weather monitoring." Advances in Space Research 47 2118-2126 [10.1016/j.asr.2010.03.028] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Ex Luna Scientia! A New Paradigm for Nuclear Gamma-Ray Astrophysics." Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 42 720- [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Automated Detection of Oscillating Regions in the Solar Atmosphere." Solar Physics 264 (2): 403-431 [10.1007/s11207-010-9592-6] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Ex Luna, Scientia -- The Lunar Occultation Observer (LOCO) Nuclear Astrophysics Mission Concept." LPI Contributions 1595 40- [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "The kinematics of coronal mass ejections using multiscale methods." Astronomy and Astrophysics 495 325-334 [10.1051/0004-6361:200809811] [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "Solar Image Analysis and Visualization." Solar Image Analysis and Visualization: ISBN 978-0 387-98153-6. Springer New York 2009 [-10.1007/978-0-387-98154-3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "Automated detection of EUV Polar Coronal Holes during Solar Cycle 23." Solar Physics 257 99-112 [10.1007/s11207-009-9369-y] [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "The Lunar Occultation Observer (LOCO) -- A Nuclear Astrophysics All-Sky Survey Mission Concept." Lunar and Planetary Institute Science Conference Abstracts 40 1364- [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "Multifractal Properties of Evolving Active Regions." Solar Physics 248 297-309 [10.1007/s11207-007-9074-7] [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "Multiscale Characterization of Eruptive Events." First Results From Hinode 397 162- [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "The Lunar Occultation Observer (LOCO) - A Nuclear Astrophysics All-Sky Survey Mission Concept." LPI Contributions 1415 2050- [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "Multiscale Analysis of Active Region Evolution." Solar Physics 248 311-322 [10.1007/s11207-007-9028-0] [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "Multiresolution Analysis of Active Region Magnetic Structure and its Correlation with the Mount Wilson Classification and Flaring Activity." Solar Physics 252 121-137 [10.1007/s11207-008-9233-5] [Journal Article/Letter]

2006. "Wavelet analysis of Active Region structure." 36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly 36 2595- [Journal Article/Letter]

2006. "The virtual solar observatory." Proceedings of the ILWS Workshop 226- [Journal Article/Letter]

2006. "Multifractal Analysis of Solar Magnetograms." Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 38 222- [Journal Article/Letter]

2006. "Toward RHESSI Spectroscopic Imaging II : Imaging." AAS/Solar Physics Division Meeting #37 37 #37.03- [Journal Article/Letter]

2006. "IHY-CAWSES Data base." 2nd UN/NASA Workshop on International Heliophysical Year and Basic Space Science [Proceedings]

2005. "Sequential Chromospheric Brightenings beneath a Transequatorial Halo Coronal Mass Ejection." The Astrophysical Journal 630 1160-1167 [10.1086/432030] [Journal Article/Letter]

2005. "Statistics of the Quiet Sun Intensity Distribution." The Dynamic Sun: Challenges for Theory and Observations 600 [Journal Article/Letter]

2004. "Applying fragmentation models to the solar atmosphere." Multi-Wavelength Investigations of Solar Activity 223 387-388 [10.1017/S1743921304006234] [Journal Article/Letter]

2003. "Bayesian multiscale deconvolution applied to gamma-ray spectroscopy." Statistical Challenges in Astronomy 503-504 [Journal Article/Letter]

2002. "High-Energy Measurements of the November 15, 1991 Solar Flare." Multi-Wavelength Observations of Coronal tructure and Dynamics 397- [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "COMPTEL gamma-ray observations of the C4 solar flare on 20 January 2000." AIP Conf. Proc. 587 613-617 [10.1063/1.1419472] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "X- and gamma-ray observations of the 15 November 1991 Solar Flare." Gamma 2001: Gamma-Ray Astrophysics 587 618-622 [10.1063/1.1419473] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "Bayesian multiscale deconvolution applied to gamma-ray spectroscopy." AIP Conference Proceedings, Gamma 2001: Gamma-Ray Astrophysics 587 701-705 [10.1063/1.1419486] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "Energetic proton spectra in the 11 June 1991 solarflare." AIP Conf. Proc. 587 623-627 [10.1063/1.1419474] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "X-Ray and Gamma Ray Measurements of the 15 November 1991 Solar Flare." High Energy Solar Physics Workshop - Anticipating Hess! 206 451- [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "Spectra of a recent bright burst measured by CGRO-COMPTEL: GRB 990123." AIP Conf. Proc. 526 170-174 [10.1063/1.1361528] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "Energetic proton spectra in the 11 June 1991 solar flare." AIP Conference Series 510 564-568 [10.1063/1.1303266] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "MeV measurements of γ-ray bursts by CGRO-COMPTEL; Revised catalog." Gamma-ray Bursts: 5th Huntsville Symposium 526 28-32 [10.1063/1.1361501] [Journal Article/Letter]

1999. "GRB 990123: correction to GCN 230 - C.A. Young added to author list." GRB Coordinates Network 237 1- [Journal Article/Letter]

1999. "Observations of GRB 990123 by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory." The Astrophysical Journal 524 (1): 82-91 [10.1086/307808] [Journal Article/Letter]

1999. "GRB 990123: correction to GCN 230 - C.A. Young added to author list." GRB Coordinates Network 237 1- [Journal Article/Letter]

1998. "MeV measurements of gamma-ray bursts by CGRO-COMPTEL." Gamma-Ray Bursts: 4th Hunstville Symposium 428 344-348 [10.1063/1.55465] [Journal Article/Letter]

1997. "Neutron Transport in the Solar Atmosphere." International Cosmic Ray Conference 1 21- [Journal Article/Letter]

1996. "Quantifying variability of GRB light curves using multifractal analysis." American Institute of Physics Conference Series 384 57-61 [10.1063/1.51571] [Journal Article/Letter]

1996. "A compact representation of GRB time series using multiscale edge detection." AIP Conference Proceedings, Gamma-ray bursts: 3rd Huntsville symposium 384 116-122 [10.1063/1.51728] [Journal Article/Letter]

1996. "A search for micro cosmic gamma-ray bursts in BATSE one second continuous data." AIP Conference Proceedings, Gamma-ray bursts: 3rd Huntsville symposium 384 (1): 555-559 [10.1063/1.51724] [Journal Article/Letter]

1995. "Searching for Multifractal Scaling in Gamma-Ray Burst Time Series." Astrophysics and Space Science 231 111-114 [10.1007/BF00658597] [Journal Article/Letter]

1995. "A compact representation of gamma-ray burst time series." Astrophysics and Space Science 231 (1-2): 119-122 [10.1007/BF00658599] [Journal Article/Letter]

1994. "Wavelet Analysis of Gamma Ray Bursts." Gamma-Ray Bursts 307 701- [Journal Article/Letter]

Contact Us


General inquiries about the scientific programs at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center may be directed to the Office of Communications at 1.301.286.8955.