Who am I.
Hi there! My name is Howard Chen and I am an Assistant Professor
of Space Sciences (Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences) at Florida Institute of Technology, located in the beautiful
Space Coast and just 20 minutes away from NASA Kennedy. Previously,
I was a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow researcher at Goddard Space Flight Center
(GSFC). I received my PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Northwestern University,
where I was supported by a three-year Future Investigations in NASA
Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) Research Award.
Before my Ph.D., I graduated with a B.A. in Physics at Boston
University in May, 2016.
I was born in Taipei, Taiwan, to a doctor and an ecologist. I
spent my childhood in beautiful Burnaby, Vancouver, one of the
subrurbs on Canada's west coast. I moved back to Taiwan in middle
school and then came to the United States for high school/college.
My Research Interests.
"The wonder is not that the field of stars is so vast, but that man has measured it"
- Anatole France, 1844
Click the buttons to read my papers. Please email me for the most up-to-date version of my CV.
How stellar activity affects exoplanet atmospheres.
We used 3D chemistry–climate models in conjunction with observational measurements of distant stars to understand the affects of large stellar flares on atmospheric chemistry.
Read the paper
Modeling JWST transmission spectra of terrestrial planets.
We employed 3D high-top chemistry-climate models to simulate synchronously locked planets and model their transmission spectra through the eyes of the new James Webb Space Telescope.
Read the paper
Applying 3D chemistry-climate models (CCM) to understand planetary habitability.
Using a suite of 3D climate and chemistry models, we simulated the distribution of biosignature gases and the effects of spin-orbit dynamics on planetary glaciations.
Read paper #1 Read paper #2
Interior structure & atmospheric escape from Neptunes.
We modified and used stellar evolution models to calculate the interiors of photoevaporating sub-Neptune sized planets, also known as "Kepler planets".
Read the paper
Volatile Accretion on Forming Young Worlds.
We integrated N-body accretion simulations with a volatile growth/loss model in an attempt to calculate the range of possible N2, CO2, and H2O combinations on Earth-analogs during planetary accretion.
Read the paper
Habitability across the Milky Way.
We modeled how the dense center of spiral galaxies, such as the Milky Way, influence planetary formation and evolution.
Read the paper Read my contributed book chapter
Outreach.
I am the lead developer of lesson plans for the non-profit
organization
Only One Sky. These courses are aimed at grade school and
middle school aged students. The overarching goal is to combine
art and science to inspire wonder about the Earth and sky, and
transmit the importance of scientific inquiry in today's society.
Here is an example of but one out of many contributions I have
made to the Only One Sky Organization:
Lesson on Stars.
During my graduate student career, I was involved in many organzations
focused on the Chicag-area. I was an active participant in CIERA's
summer
high school research program.
I also volunteered at Niles Township High School District, specifically
being a part of the Ask an Expert Day at
Niles North High School.
Conference Presentations.
I have been fortunate enough to present my research at many major astronomy & exoplanets conferences. Some venues include Extreme Solar Systems IV in Reykjavik, Iceland (pictured left).
Media Appearances.
My work has attracted some media attention over the years! In particular, I have had my work on the habitability of exoplanets covered by news outlets such as CNN, Newsweek, The Independent, and Geekwire. My work with Avi Loeb has been covered by Space.com and Physics Today.
Outside of work.
I am an avid (but casual) Go player.
As a child, I was mentored by my dad with the Ways of Go
and fell in love with it ever since. Go chess is beautiful because
of its complexity hidden in its simplicity. I quote Wikipedia
“Despite its relatively simple rules, Go is very complex, even
more so than chess.” In fact, a bit of research indicates that
the number of possible Go games with different outcomes is on
the order of 10^100, more than the total number of atoms in
the observable Universe.