University of North Texas 
The College of Science is pleased to introduce Jennifer Bradford, manager of the Rafes Urban Astronomy Center, which is part of UNT Physics and an instrumental arm of the department’s astronomy education and outreach programs.
As the Observatory Manager, Jennifer handles the upkeep of the telescopes, equipment,
and supplies for labs; she also supervises student workers and organizes all the public
and private events that take place at the facility, located west of Denton near the
municipal airport. She said her favorite part of her job is working with students
at the observatory.
“Our undergraduates are the heart of our efforts, and it is a pleasure to watch them grow in their knowledge of astronomy and develop the skills they will need for success after college,” she said. “I also enjoy educational outreach. I love working with the public to expand their astronomical knowledge. It makes my day every time someone gets excited about viewing a celestial object for the first time.”
The observatory hosts public Star Parties twice a month, and Jennifer is currently preparing for a special event that will take place during the night of the Total Lunar Eclipse on March 13. Guests will learn about the eclipse via hands-on activities and view the moon through the observatory’s telescopes while enjoying hot chocolate and educational presentations.
“I'd love for more people to know that we host regular Star Parties twice a month on the first and third Saturday, and that they’re a blast!” she said. “Our staff are amazing and knowledgeable, and we pride ourselves on creating a unique and fun educational experience for the whole family.”
Jennifer is excited to establish more outreach efforts both on and off campus, as well as improving operations at the Monroe Remote Observatory so UNT physics students can use it for smaller research projects.
As an undergrad, Jennifer studied physics and afterwards went on to earn an M.S. in Space Studies with a concentration in Planetary Science/Astronomy from the University of North Dakota.
“The Space Studies program I completed for my Master’s was multidisciplinary, so I learned about all aspects of space and not just planetary science and astronomy,” she said. “I took classes on the Russian and Chinese space programs, Human Factors, Space Law, and management of space enterprises to name a few that were outside of my concentration.”
As an extension of her passion for astronomy, Jennifer is also an amateur rocketry enthusiast. “I was a part of a high-powered rocketry club at both UTA and UND and got to build rockets capable of going up to 30,000 feet for competitions like the NASA Student Launch and the International Rocketry Engineering Competition. I currently have my level one certification for High Powered Rocketry, and plan on trying for my level two certification soon!
Learn more about UNT’s astronomy education outreach and purchase your tickets to the Total Lunar Eclipse event here.