Dr. Merrill Roberts received his Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in 2003. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from The Catholic University of America in 2018, where he has also served as a Lecturer in Physics, teaching multiple courses, including a course in Solar Physics designed for students planning to teach in primary and secondary schools. He worked for over a decade as a researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, where he studied solar coronal transients and performed forward modeling for the Parker Solar Probe mission. He is a Regular Member of the Society of Catholic Scientists. Dr. Roberts is a Senior Faculty Consultant for the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education (ICLE), giving workshops and developing curriculum centered around the Quadrivial Arts since 2013. He combines his passions for nature and education as the Nature Studies teacher at St. Jerome Academy in Hyattsville, MD, where he has instructed 5th through 8th graders since 2010. He is also, along with his wife Elizabeth, the Co-director of Music at St. Jerome’s Parish, where he strives to emphasize the beauty and truth inherent in the Mass. Merrill and Elizabeth live in Hyattsville, MD, and are blessed to be the parents of six boisterous, inquisitive children.
Refereed Publications
Roberts, M. A., V. M. Uritsky, C. R. DeVore, and J. T. Karpen. 2018. “Simulated Encounters of the Parker Solar Probe with a Coronal-hole Jet.” Astrophysical Journal, 866: 14 [10.3847/1538-4357/aadb41] [Link]
Uritsky, V. M., M. A. Roberts, C. R. DeVore, and J. T. Karpen. 2017. “Reconnection-Driven Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in a Simulated Coronal-Hole Jet.” Astrophysical Journal, 837: 123 [10.3847/1538-4357/aa5cb9] [Link]
Lectures and Presentations
“Led By a Star: Reason and Revelation in the Journey of the Magi”, Thomistic Summer Conference, Thomas Aquinas College, CA, June 2022
“The Harmony of Number”, Institute for Catholic Liberal Education’s Catholic Educator Formation and Credential Program, Multiple Venues, 2021-Present
“Creation as the Master Teacher: An Introduction to Nature Journaling”, ICLE National Conference, 2022
“A Modern Journey of the Magi: Following Our Star to Christ” (Invited), Western Dominican Province, Science and Faith Series, Eagle Rock, CA, March 2020
“Simulated Encounters of Parker Solar Probe with Separatrix-Web Dynamic Structures”, AGU Fall Meeting, December 2018
“Simulated Encounters of Parker Solar Probe with a Solar Coronal Jet: Early Mission Predictions”, Triennial Earth-Sun Summit, May 2018
“The Interior Structure, Dynamics, and Heliospheric Impact of Reconnection-Driven Solar Coronal Jets”, Dept. of Physics Colloquium, February 2018
“Simulated Parker Solar Probe Encounters with Solar Coronal Jets: Predictions for the Early Mission”, Joint PSP/SO Science Working Group Meeting, JHU-APL, October 2017
“STEM in Classical Liberal Arts Education”, ICLE School Leaders Forum, 2017
“Fly-Throughs of Simulated Solar Coronal Jets in Preparation for Solar Probe Plus”, AGU Fall Meeting, December 2016
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