[Nfb-science] Intro

[Dave Mehtingerr]

Hi there. I'm new to the NFB and the list so wanted to introduce myself. I received my Ph.D. In astronomy & astrophysics from the University of Chicago in the early 90s. I did research on various aspects of Galactic star forming regions which included studying the spatial and kinematic distribution of complex (for the interstellar medium) molecules in these regions. I studied these regions in the microwave to submillimeter wavelength regimes, using principally radio interferometers to collect spectroscopic data. 

About 15 years ago my interests switched to software development. I've held a few positions both at educational institutions and in the private sector. At present, I work for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory where I'm a member of a team that develops and maintains a large software system used for the processing, imaging, and analysis of data collected from radio telescopes, in particular the telescopes our observatory manages in the US and in Chile. I am the primary developer and maintainer of the image analysis portion of our package. 

I am partially sighted. My eyesight is such that I require no significant adaptation to do my work. However, when I was a student, particularly as an undergraduate, my eyesight was much worse. I faced significant obstacles then, and learned recently at the NFB convention that blind science students still face many of the same general obstacles today. 

My interest here is to contribute what I can to promote STEM education for blind students at all educational levels. There are obviously many students in our community with significant intellectual gifts that will allow them to successfully pursue careers in these areas if they can receive proper training with appropriate assistive technologies from those who understand that visual impairment, by itself, does not prohibit someone from pursuing such a career. 

Dave Mehringer