St. Thomas Aquinas College “Eye to the Sky” During Solar Eclipse Class Expedition
— Prepares for Opening of SKAE Astronomy Center in Fall —
As all eyes were on the sky yesterday, St. Thomas Aquinas College students and faculty seized the moment for an unforgettable experiential learning journey during the total Solar Eclipse. Led by Dr. Heather Rave and Dr. Meghan De Witt from the School of STEM, 40 students embarked on an interactive trip to Tupper Lake, NY, as part of their course, Astronomy 300: “When the World Stands Still, the Science of a Solar Eclipse.” The excursion, which included a series of experiments conducted by students, was a testament to the College’s commitment to hands-on education.
“Yesterday’s solar eclipse provided a rare opportunity for our students to pause, reflect, and engage with the cosmos in a profound way,” remarked St. Thomas Aquinas College President Ken Daly. “This faculty-led excursion — as well as the ‘Watch Party’ attended by hundreds of students on campus — underscores our commitment to providing transformational and experiential learning opportunities for our students. This commitment will be amplified with the opening of our SKAE ‘Eye to the Sky’ Astronomy Center in Fall 2024.”
Prior to the eclipse, Dr. Rave and Dr. De Witt delivered three public lectures on eclipses, fostering community engagement and enthusiasm for celestial events. Meanwhile, back on campus, the St. Thomas Aquinas College community gathered at the Romano Center for a Watch Party, where Spartans safely observed the eclipse. On April 20, the entire St. Thomas Aquinas community will come to celebrate Earth Day on the campus front lawn.
The SKAE Astronomy Center, set to open in Fall 2024, will further enhance the College’s commitment to astronomy education. Featuring a state-of-the-art Telescope Observatory and a dedicated classroom for astronomy and astrophysics programming, the Center will offer research opportunities and experiential learning for students. From undergraduate research to Astronomy Clubs and “Stargazing with Stars” nights open to alumni and the local community, the Center will serve as a hub for lifelong learning and exploration.
For more information about St. Thomas Aquinas College and its upcoming SKAE Astronomy Center, please visit stac.edu/skae.
About St. Thomas Aquinas College
St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 76 acres in Rockland County, NY, providing education at the undergraduate and graduate levels where lifelong learners can advance their careers with flexible hours and online courses. The College’s diverse student body of approximately 2,000 full and part-time students can choose from over 100 majors, minors, and specializations across four Schools: Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Education, and STEM. We are excited to celebrate Accepted Students Day with incoming freshmen on Saturday, April 20. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, and by Colleges of Distinction in its New York edition for Business, Education, and Career Development. The College is also recognized as a Yellow Ribbon Program institution. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and its School of Business is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.