Me standing on the rim of Meteor Crater

Hi! I'm Linda Harden, formerly The Human Neutrino
(and probably still known to some as the Purple Menace).

Mike Asbury scanned some pictures for me recently (thanks, Mike!) that I couldn't resist putting up here. If this is taking way too long to load, click here to see this page without the images.


Me in the Purple Menace coat, standing beside Saturn at the Planet Walk in Ithaca, New York. I've done three planet walks this year: one in Ithaca, one at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and one at the Pluto Telescope at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Hmmm, I wish I got frequent flyer miles for that...

I am a grad student in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz (Go, Fighting Banana SLUGS!!!). The research that most interests me is the search for extrasolar planets. My other research interests are in celestial mechanics/orbital dynamics, planet formation, planetary rings, and numerical simulations of impacts.

I left a trail of destruction in my wake as an astronomy, physics, math, and computer science major at the University of Maryland, where I graduated in May. I worked for Dr Doug P. Hamilton on an honors thesis, "Dusty Rings Around Saturn," in astronomy and physics.

In my none-too-copious free time (sigh), I enjoy ballroom dancing. I used to dance with Ballroom at Maryland. I plan to join the Swingin' Slug Dance Club when fall quarter starts. Katherine Wu has more links about dancing at Santa Cruz. Here's a link with info about dancing in the SF Bay Area, and here's the homepage of UC Ballroom Dance in Berkeley. Here's a picture of me in action:

Me and Doug dancing at Tim and Heather's wedding

More pictures from my trip to Arizona!!

Astronomy stuff of above-average miscellaneity:

People

For those who love Fire, Death, and Destruction:

I don't know anybody like that, do you?

And finally, me in one of my more serious and dignified moments: