 I am an associate professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. I performed my postdoctoral work at the University of California in Davis and Santa Cruz and my graduate work at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Prior to that I received my Bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy from the University of Michigan. My research focuses on the study of distant galaxies that host actively growing supermassive black holes, otherwise known as active galactic nuclei (AGN). There is mounting evidence that the evolution of galaxies is closely linked to the growth of their central black holes, but how this connection is established remains one of the key unanswered questions in astrophysics today. I am interested in understanding the mechanisms that fuel the growth of supermassive black holes and what role AGN feedback plays in suppressing the star formation activity of massive galaxies. To investigate these issues, my work uses multi-wavelength observations ranging from the infrared to the to study the the star formation activity, morphologies, and environments of galaxies undergoing active black hole growth. I am currently involved in several collaborations studying galaxies in the early universe. Most notable among these are the the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey and the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). CANDELS is the largest single program ever carried out with the Hubble Space Telescope and data from the survey is now helping us construct an integrated model for the triggering of AGN activity, the quenching of star formation, and the structural evolution of galaxies at redshifts of z=2 and beyond. CEERS is one of 13 programs selected to be the first science projects conducted with the James Webb Space Telescope. Using a range of imaging and spectroscopic observations at near and mid-infrared wavelengths, CEERS is allowing us to study the AGN host population at z>3 for the first time. In addition to my work with CANDELS and CEERS, I have co-led the X-UDS survey, an X-ray Vision Program conducted with the Chandra X-ray observatory to survey the UKIDSS UDS field. I have also studied how environment shapes the properties of galaxies in large-scale structures at redshifts near unity with the ORELSE survey. Prior to this, my Ph.D. work focused on using X-rays to find galaxy clusters behind the plane of the Milky Way. This project, known as the CIZA survey, shed light on the nature of the Great Attractor and the origin of the Milky Way’s peculiar velocity. Check out my research or publications page for my most recent work. |
Dale D. Kocevski, PhD Assistant Professor Colby College
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P: (207) 859-5867
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