Scott Fisher
Department of Physics | University of Oregon
Eugene, OR, UNITED STATES
Scott Fisher is an expert about space, NASA, and all things astronomy.
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Biography
Scott Fisher is an expert about space, NASA, and all things astronomy. His particular strength is making science and STEM accessible to non-scientists. If it involves the stars and what people can learn from the universe beyond earth, he can speak to it. At the University of Oregon, Scott is an astronomy lecturer, the outreach director and director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Physics. He had previously worked at Hawaii's Gemini Observatory and served as a program officer of the National Science Foundation. He enjoys communicating about science to a range of audiences, from students and public lectures to television and film outlets.
Areas of Expertise (5)
NASA
Space
Astronomy
STEM for Non Scientists
Environment
Links (2)
Media Appearances (7)
Eclipse tips: A few short videos on watching the sun go out
Around the O online
2017-08-16
University of Oregon astrophysicist Scott Fisher answered some of the most common eclipse-related questions in a series of short videos.
Even In Eugene, Eclipse Will Be A Spectacle Worth Looking Up For
KLCC radio
2017-08-09
KLCC's Rachael McDonald speaks with University of Oregon astrophysicist Scott Fisher.
UO Junior Named a Finalist for a Coveted Truman Scholarship
Around the O online
2017-03-13
Scott Fisher, astronomy lecturer in the UO physics department, calls Bangalore the most civically active student in the physics department, as well as one of the strongest academically. “She possesses all of the characteristics that will make her successful, and she will be an excellent representative for the program,” he said.
Oregon Astronomer Plans To Check Out New Star With 7 Exoplanets
OPB
2017-02-23
But astronomer Scott Fisher said he’ll be showing students the star this summer. “In my Astronomy 122 class, that I’m teaching here at [University of Oregon], the entire term we’ve been talking about exoplanets,” Fisher said. “So this new discovery just reinforces the fact that astronomy is happening now. It’s not just something that happened a hundred years ago. But we’re making big discoveries right now.”...
Media Week: UO Scholars in the News in the Past Week
Around the O online
2017-02-27
Oregon Public Broadcasting interviewed UO faculty members for a pair of stories. UO astronomer Scott Fisher provided insight into NASA’s discovery of seven Earth-size planets around a nearby star. Troy Campbell, a marketing professor in the Lundquist College of Business, talked about how influencer marketing works on Think Out Loud.
Gift bolsters the vision for UO's Pine Mountain Observatory
Around the O online
2017-02-01
Scott Fisher, astronomy lecturer in the UO physics department and outreach coordinator for Pine Mountain and other programs, said the gift puts the observatory and its four telescopes close to having the right mix of equipment and resources to really boost its contributions to astrophysical research and public education.
Science for the Rest of Us: UO Fights for Science Literacy
Daily Emerald
2015-11-05
Dr. Scott Fisher has looked into other galaxies and worked for the National Science Foundation, but he’s teaching a 100-level astronomy course at University of Oregon. He describes himself as an absolute stereotype of a scientist: Bald with glasses, with facial hair reminiscent of Walter White. But his attitude about the way science courses should be taught is anything but stereotypical: He starts most classes with “What’s up, my fine peoples?” But Fisher is serious about science. He’s a “planet hunter,” monitoring infant solar systems from a remote-controlled telescope in Bend, on UO’s Pine Mountain Observatory. He’s also looking for supernovas: If he spots one, he’ll alert the Gemini telescope at Mauna Kea, where he used to work...
Articles (2)
Evolution in Solitude-Field Galaxies from Half the Age of the Universe to the Present
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting
2017 We analyze the stellar populations and evolutionary history of bulge-dominated (nser ≥ 1.5) field galaxies at redshifts up to z≈1 as part of the Gemini/HST Galaxy Cluster Project (GCP). High signal-to-noise optical spectroscopy from Gemini Observatory and imaging from Hubble Space Telescope is used to analyze a total of 44 field galaxies, focusing on 30 passive (EW[OII] ≤ 5Å) field galaxies. Our results indicate that the size-mass and size-velocity dispersion relations for the passive field galaxies show no significant evolution between z≈1 and the present. The passive field galaxies contain younger stellar populations than cluster galaxies at similar redshifts, with a formation redshift zform = 1.2-1.4 compared to zform = 1.8 for the cluster galaxies. We establish the Fundamental Plane and study the M/L ratios, both indicating that the formation redshift for the passive field galaxies is mass dependent. The zero point differences of the scaling relations for the M/L ratios agree with the formation redshift of zform = 1.2-1.4 found from the line indices and are consistent with the passive evolution model.
Life in Low Density Environments – Field Galaxies from z=1.0 to the Present
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
2015 We present results on the stellar populations of bulge-dominated field galaxies at redshifts up to ≈1.0. The sample consists of non-cluster galaxies observed as part of the spectroscopic observations for the Gemini/HST Galaxy Cluster Project (GCP). Our preliminary results show that the bulge-dominated field galaxies contain younger stellar populations than cluster galaxies at similar redshifts. Future work will include photometry from Hubble Space Telescope and will be aimed at establishing the evolution of the sizes and the mass-to-light ratios for the field galaxies.
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