Today@Sam Article

Heritage Magazine: Shooting for the Stars

Feb. 26, 2025
SHSU Media Contact: Campbell Atkins

Sam Houston State University stands steadfast in its commitment to serving the local community, region and nation at the same elite level it serves its students. With Texas leading the forefront of multiple innovative spaces in an ever-changing society, the need for exemplary science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and advancement has reached an all-time high.

“Texas has led the nation in technological growth for 10 straight years,” said Major General (ret.) David Glaser, SHSU’s chief strategy officer. “A huge part of that corridor is the greater Houston area with over 100,000 people working in the space industry to support it.”

SHSU, an apt reflection of the rapid growth that defines the region it calls home, has benefitted substantially from its proximity to and ultimate partnerships with some of the largest space-based organizations in the world, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). With the 2023 addition of a new astronomy minor as well as the university’s state-of-the-art Dominey Observatory, Bearkats find themselves ever closer to the final frontier.

“The thing that first captures everyone’s excitement is simply the beauty of it,” said Joel Walker, professor and chair of SHSU’s Department of Physics. “One of the things that’s unique about astronomy is that everyone can appreciate it. Something we all want the observatory to accomplish is to grow interest in STEM among our own students as well as members of the community and future scientists.”

The observatory is operated by its public outreach director, Michael Prokosch, who has been with the university’s physics department since 2001. His leadership and longevity encouraged Barbara Dominey, wife of the late Sam Dominey, to donate funds that made the new structure possible.

“Initially, we were talking about replacing the dome of the original building, none of this other stuff had even entered our heads yet,” Prokosch said. “Mrs. Dominey thought it was great that we were making use of it and told me to let her know how much we needed. That gave us the confidence to really start pushing for something bigger and better than what we had.”

The original structure, which once sat atop the Farrington Building on campus before it was relocated to the current, rural location off Highway 19, had room for just a handful of observers. Now, Prokosch acts as caretaker for a state-of-the-art observatory that can house large groups of learners of all ages at any given time. It features a domed, retractable roof and is fully ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible. An elevated platform raises attendees to telescope level and its unique periscope attachment, which brings the image down to a comfortable, seated position. The carefully crafted setup produces a spacious, comfortable environment.

“This accessibility angle is really rare and hard to accomplish with a traditional telescope design,” Walker said.

The highly advanced PlaneWave Instruments CDK700 Telescope System features a wide aperture and can bring in copious amounts of light and seamlessly switch back-and-forth between observing with its camera as well as one’s eye.

“On the research side, there are other places that have fairly robust programs, but there are things they are not doing,” Prokosch said. “There is very little actually looking through the telescope anymore.”

Of the 76 similar models of this specific telescope installed globally, only a handful feature the periscope extension necessary for direct viewing. The majority are used for astrophotography or to produce spectrographs, which record the composition of light emitted by stars and other astronomical objects.

“But people still want to look,” Prokosch said. “That is what inspires younger people to pursue something like this. You never forget the first time you see Jupiter through a telescope; that is something that stays with you forever. If done in the right way, that can be a life-changing experience. We wanted to be able to provide and give back to those who live here and, hopefully, inspire young people to go to college.”

It also offers a unique opportunity for students already in college and will only enhance SHSU’s budding astronomy program and the state’s unique role in the space sector.

“This is an area where a lot of our students have ended up finding employment,” Walker said.

This includes Katie West (’11), who works as a flight controller at NASA, as well as Leslie Padilla (’04), who supervises a team working towards developing spacesuits for future generations. Madison Kriticos (’21) currently works as a project manager contracted by NASA through her role with Aegis Aerospace Inc., a woman-owned space and technology company that provides turn-key solutions to government and commercial customers in the space and defense industries.

“We are able to train students in the foundational areas of basic science, computer sciences, mathematical capacity and data analysis,” Walker said. “All of these highly transferable skills are necessary for success in the burgeoning space sector in Texas. Being able to integrate that very direct, hands-on experience with data collection of an astronomical variety is a wonderful new addition.”

In addition to enhanced benefits for students, the new Dominey Observatory offers greater opportunities to connect with the wider community. Observatory personnel have expressed aspirations for continued growth on facility grounds, including educational opportunities in the daytime for local youth, smaller telescope stations on the concrete slabs that flank the structure and a parking lot to accommodate larger crowds. In the meantime, the facility has several viewing events scheduled throughout the academic year that are open to the public free of charge. 

To read the full version of Heritage Magazine - Fall 2024, follow this link.

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