MASSCLEAN logo, copyright Bogdan Popescu and Margaret Hanson VISTA Telescope (Image credit ESO) LSST logo. (Image credit: LSST Corporation, Bryn Feldman)
    
                 
Main Page   Curriculum Vitae   MASSCLEAN   VISTA   LSST
                 
                 
                 
  
  
 
 
  

  BOGDAN POPESCU 

  
DAVIS, CA ● 530-746-2037 ● bogdan at massclean.org
Web: http://bogdan.massclean.org/ ● http://www.massclean.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/massclean
 
  
  CITIZENSHIP
  
 US Citizen
 
 
  
  SKILLS
 
 ● Software development, Computer modeling and simulations
 ● Computer programming (C/C++, Python, PHP, JavaScript, HTML, Linux/UNIX/Darwin/Windows shell script) 
 ● Proficiency with computer hardware and software (Linux/UNIX, Windows, Raspberry Pi, Darwin/MacOS)
 ● Website development and maintenance, Desktop publishing, computer graphics
 ● Experience with sophisticated equipment, Capacity to learn new technologies quickly
 ● Communication, both technical writing and verbal
 ● Problem solving and critical thinking, Inventiveness and ability to address unforeseen problems
 ● Research and investigation, advanced mathematics, Strong analytical and applied mathematical skills
 ● Analysis and quantitative thinking
 ●  Working as a member of a team (LSST Collaboration and VVV Survey Science Team)
 
  
  EDUCATION
 
2010 Ph.D. in Physics, University of Cincinnati, Department of Physics, Cincinnati, OH
Dissertation in Computational Astronomy: MASSCLEAN - MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis package - A New Tool for Stellar Clusters
Advisor: Margaret M. Hanson
  ● Chapter 2 was published in The Astronomical Journal (2009)
  ● Chapter 3 was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2010)
  ● Chapter 4 was published in The Astrophysical Journal (2010)
   
1997 M.S. in Physics, "Al.I. Cuza" University, Department of Physics, Iasi, Romania, specialization Theory of Non-Linear Phenomena
M.S. Thesis in General Relativity : Application of Gravitational Lenses
   
1996 B.S. in Physics, "Al.I. Cuza" University, Department of Physics, Iasi, Romania, specialization Theoretical Physics
B.S. Thesis in General Relativity: Gravitational Lenses
 
  
  PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
  
   
2019-present Physics/Astronomy Adjunct Instructor, SOLANO Community College, Fairfield, CA
  ● Instructor for physics/astronomy classes and labs.
   
2018-2019 Adjunct Faculty Physics, Woodland Community College, Woodland, CA
  ● Instructor for physics classes and labs.
   
2017-2017 Data Scientist, Engage3, Davis, CA
  ● Completed value analysis project to track performance of company’s SaaS product for retailers.
   
2010-2015 Post Doctoral Fellow, University of Cincinnati, Department of Physics, Cincinnati, OH
  ● Author and contributing author for 6 peer-reviewed journal papers and 4 conference papers.
  ● Selected Speaker at 10 conferences and various scientific meetings.
  ● Developer of the MASSCLEAN (MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis) package.
  ● Developed and maintained http://www.MASSCLEAN.org website.
  ● Supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) AST-1009550 grant ("MASSCLEAN: A powerful new tool for the study of stellar clusters", PI: Margaret Hanson).
  ● Member of the VVV (Vista Variables in the Via Lactea) Survey Science Team and LSST (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) Collaboration.
    
2006-2010 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Cincinnati, Department of Physics, Cincinnati, OH
  ● Author and contributing author for 2 peer-reviewed journal papers, 3 conference papers, and one book.
  ● Selected Speaker at 7 conferences and various scientific meetings.
  ● Creator and Developer of the MASSCLEAN package and its website.
  ● Supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) AST-0607497 grant ("Revealing our Galaxy’s Massive Star Clusters", PI: Margaret Hanson).
  ● Supported by University of Cincinnati Research Council (URC) Summer Graduate Student Research Fellowship ("Rediscovering the Milky Way", Bogdan Popescu).
  ● Member of the LSST Collaboration and LSST Calibration Simulation Team.
   
2004-2006 Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Cincinnati, Department of Physics, Cincinnati, OH
  ● Instructor for labs and grader for various Physics and Astronomy courses.
  ● 2005-2006: Intermediate Physics Lab I,II,III; Advanced Lab I,II; General Physics for Majors III (TA); General Physics III (TA)
  ● 2004-2005: General Physics for Majors I, II, III (TA); Physics of Light and Color (TA); Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (TA); Introductory Physics (TA)
   
2002-2004 Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Utah, Department of Physics, Salt Lake City, UT
  ● Instructor for labs and grader for various Physics courses.
  ● 2003-2004: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Relativity (TA); General Physics Lab I, II
  ● 2002-2003: Physics for Scientists and Engineers I, II (TA)
   
1996-2002 High School Teacher, Iasi, Romania
  
  
  SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
       

MASSCLEAN

 MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis - Imaging and photometry cluster simulation package.  It is freely available under GNU General Public License.
  ● MASSCLEAN tracks the evolution of every single star in the stellar cluster's mass distribution and include stochastic fluctuations.
  ● Its modular structure allows to easy combine real and simulated data.
  ● The code is written in C,C++, and shell script.
  ● It is available on multiple platforms: Linux/UNIX, Windows, Raspberry Pi, Darwin/MacOS.
  ● The website is based on HTML, JavaScript, and PHP.
     

myCAT

 Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration Simulation main program.
  ● The code is written in C, C++, and Python.
   
 
  
  MASSCLEAN PRODUCTS
       

MASSCLEANcolors

 Database containing integrated colors of extra-galactic stellar clusters based on over 100 million Monte Carlo simulations. It contains the most advanced mass-dependent models of stellar clusters that include stochastic fluctuations. It is used for age and mass determination. It is publicly available on MASSCLEAN's website.
   

MASSCLEAN LMC Catalog

 Ages and masses of over 900 Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) clusters. They are derived using the MASSCLEANcolors database. The catalog is available online and published in a peer-reviewed journal.
   

MASSCLEAN Mmax Catalog

 The mass of the most massive star in 40 Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) clusters determined from 25 million Monte Carlo simulations. These results show that the relation between the mass of the most massive star formed in a stellar cluster and the mass of the cluster is not single valued: the most massive star is formed in a mass-dependent range of values.
   

MASSCLEAN CMD Templates

 Color-Magnitude Diagrams (CMD) Templates used for age, distance, and extinction determination of Milky Way clusters, based on 15 million Monte Carlo simulations.
 
  
  REFEREED  PAPERS
     
J. Borissova et al., including B. Popescu, 2014, New galactic star clusters discovered in the VVV survey. Candidates projected on the inner disk and bulge, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 569, 24
 
Bogdan Popescu and M.M. Hanson, 2014, The Range of Variation of the Mass of the Most Massive Star in Stellar Clusters Derived from 35 Million Monte Carlo Simulations, The Astrophysical Journal, 780, 27  
 
Bogdan Popescu, M.M. Hanson and Bruce G. Elmegreen, 2012, Age and Mass for 920 LMC Clusters Derived from 100 Million Monte Carlo Simulations, The Astrophysical Journal, 751, 122  
 
R.K. Saito et al, including B. Popescu, 2012, VVV DR1: The first data release of the Milky Way bulge and southern plane from the near-infrared ESO public survey VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 537, 107
 
D. Minniti et al, including B. Popescu, 2011, The VVV Survey of the Milky Way: First Year Results, Boletin de la Asociacion Argentina de Astronomia, vol.54, p.265
 
Bogdan Popescu & M.M. Hanson, 2010, MASSCLEANage – Stellar Cluster Ages from Integrated Colors, The Astrophysical Journal, 724, 296 
 
Bogdan Popescu & M.M. Hanson, 2010, MASSCLEANcolors – Mass Dependent Integrated Colors for Stellar Clusters Derived from 30 Million Monte Carlo Simulations, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 713, L21
 
Bogdan Popescu & M.M. Hanson, 2009, MASSCLEAN - MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis Package - Description and Tests, The Astronomical Journal, 138, 1724
 
  
  NON-REFEREED / CONFERENCE PAPERS
     
B. Popescu, M.M. Hanson, J. Borissova, R. Kurtev, V.D. Ivanov, M. Catelan, S.S. Larsen, D. Minniti, P. Lucas, 2014, Using MASSCLEAN to Describe Stellar Clusters Found in the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey, XIV Latin American Regional IAU Meeting (Eds. A. Mateus, J. Gregorio-Hetem & R. Cid Fernandes), Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica (Serie de Conferencias) Vol. 44, p. 163
 
M. Catelan, P.P. Leyton, R.K. Saito, J. Borissova, B Popescu, 2014, Reddening-Free Indices in the VISTA Filter System, XIV Latin American Regional IAU Meeting (Eds. A. Mateus, J. Gregorio-Hetem & R. Cid Fernandes), Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica (Serie de Conferencias) Vol. 44, p. 65
 
M.M. Hanson, Bogdan Popescu, S.S. Larsen, V.D. Ivanov,  2010, Deducing the Milky Way's Massive Cluster Population, Highlights of Astronomy, Volume 15, p. 794
 
R.L. Jones, N. Padmanabhanb, Z. Ivezic, T. Axelrod, J. Bartlett, D. Burke, D. Cinabro, M. Creze, B. Popescu, A. Saha, 2010, Solving the Global Photometric Self-Calibration Problem in LSST, in Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series, Volume 7737, p. 33, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems III, Editors: D.R. Silva, A.B. Peck, B.T. Soifer
 
Bogdan Popescu and M.M. Hanson, 2010, MASSCLEAN - MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis Package - Description, Tests, and Results, Proceedings International Astronomical Union Symposium (IAUS) 266, p. 511, Star Clusters - Basic Galactic Building Blocks throughout Time and Space, Editors: R. de Grijs & J.R.D. Lepine
 
M.M. Hanson & B. Popescu, 2008, One Hundred 30 Dors?, Proceedings International Astronomical Union Symposium (IAUS) 250, p. 307, Massive Stars as Cosmic Engines, Editors: F. Bresolin, P.A. Crowther, and J. Puls
 
  
  LSST SCIENCE BOOK
 
D. Burke, T. Axelrod, J. Bartlett, D. Cinabro, C. Claver, J. Frank, J. Haggerty, Z. Ivezic, L. Jones, B. Meadows, D. Monet, B. Popescu, A. Saha, M. Sivertz, A. Smith, C. Stubbs, J.A. Tyson, 2009, Photometric Calibration, Chapter 2.6, p. 45, in LSST Science Book, Editors: Z. Ivezic, S. Jacoby, P. Marshall, M. Sivertz, A. Spitz, M. Strauss, J.A. Tyson, S. Wolff
 
  
  AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY (AAS) CONTRIBUTIONS
 
Bogdan Popescu, M.M. Hanson, J. Borissova, R. Kurtev, V.D. Ivanov, S.S. Larsen, M. Catelan, D. Minniti, P. Lucas, 2014, Using MASSCLEAN to Describe Stellar Clusters Found in the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #223, #442.09
 
Bogdan Popescu, M.M. Hanson, J. Borissova, R. Kurtev, V.D. Ivanov, S.S. Larsen, M. Catelan, D. Minniti, P. Lucas, 2013, The Mass of the Most Massive Star in Stellar Clusters Determined from 25 Million MASSCLEAN Monte Carlo Simulations, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #222, #117.04
 
Bogdan Popescu, M.M. Hanson, J. Borissova, R. Kurtev, V.D. Ivanov, S.S. Larsen, M. Catelan, D. Minniti, P. Lucas, 2013, Age Determination of VVV Clusters from 5 Million Monte Carlo Simulations, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #221, #250.33
 
Bogdan Popescu and M.M. Hanson, 2012, Comparing Age and Mass Determinations from 100 Million Monte Carlo Simulations to 288 LMC Clusters with CMD Ages, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #151.14
 
Bogdan Popescu, 2011, MASSCLEAN - MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis Package - A New Tool For Stellar Clusters, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #217, #427.01
 
M.M. Hanson and Bogdan Popescu, 2011, What Can 100 Million Monte Carlo Simulations Do For You? - Age and Mass for 900 LMC Clusters, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #217, #152.01
 
Bogdan Popescu and M.M. Hanson, 2010, MASSCLEANcolors - Mass Dependent Integrated Colors for Stellar Clusters, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #455.26
 
J. Bartlett, G. Bazin, M. Creze, C. Portello-Roucelle, T. Axelrod, D. Burke, D. Cinabro, C. Claver, J. Frank, K. Gilmore, J. Haggerty, Z. Ivezic, L. Jones, V. Krabbendam, B. Meadows, D. Monet, P. O'Connor, J. Oliver, B. Popescu, A. Saha, A. Smith, C. Smith, C. Stubbs, J.A. Tyson, 2010, Calibration of LSST Instrument and Data, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #401.19
 
Margaret M. Hanson and B. Popescu, 2009, MASSCLEAN - MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis Package - Description and Tests, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #214, #421.03
 
D. Burke, T. Axelrod, J. Bartlett, D. Cinabro, C. Claver, M. Creze, J. Frank, K. Gilmore, J. Haggerty, Z. Ivezic, L. Jones, V. Krabbendam, B. Meadows, D. Monet, P. O'Connor, J. Oliver, B. Popescu, A. Saha, A. Smith, C. Smith, C. Stubbs, J.A. Tyson, 2009, Calibration of LSST Instrument and Data, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #213, #460.18
 
D. Burke, T. Axelrod, J. Bartlett, D. Cinabro, C. Claver, M. Creze, J. Frank, K. Gilmore, J. Haggerty, Z. Ivezic, L. Jones, V. Krabbendam, B. Meadows, D. Monet, P. O'Connor, J. Oliver, B. Popescu, A. Saha, A. Smith, C. Smith, C. Stubbs, J.A. Tyson, 2007, Calibration of LSST Instrument and Data, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #137.23
 
M.M. Hanson and B. Popescu, 2007, One Hundred 30 Dors: Is The Milky Way Different Or Are We Somehow Missing Them?, American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #58.14
 
  
  SELECTED TALKS
  
2015 May VVV Stellar Clusters Described by 15 Million MASSCLEAN Monte Carlo Simulations, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
2014 Apr VVV Stellar Clusters Described by 10 Million MASSCLEAN Monte Carlo Simulations, Invited Talk, 5th Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey Science Meeting, Concon, Chile
2012 Mar The Search for Stellar Clusters in the VVV Survey, 3rd Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey Science Meeting, Vina del Mar, Chile
2011 Jan MASSCLEAN - MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis package - A New Tool for Stellar Clusters, Dissertation Talk, American Astronomical Society (AAS) 217th Meeting, Seattle, WA
2010 Dec MASSCLEAN - MASSive CLuster Evolution and ANalysis package - A New Tool for Stellar Clusters, 1st Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey Science Meeting, Vina del Mar, Chile
2010 Feb MASSCLEANcolors Database: Results from 30 Million Monte Carlo Simulations, 8th Annual Retreat, Physics Department, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
2010 Jan LSST CalSim End-to-end Simulation, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration AAS2010 Face-to-Face Splinter Meeting, Washington, DC
2009 Feb Cluster Simulations using MASSCLEAN Package, Guest Lecture, PHYS822 (Astrophysics II), UC, Cincinnati, OH
2008 Oct Creating the LSST CalSim Model Source Catalog, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration Simulation Workshop, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY
2008 Sep Creating the LSST CalSim Model Source Catalog - myCAT 0.95 beta, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration Simulation Meeting at SLAC, Palo Alto, CA
2008 May Model Source Catalog using myCAT code, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) All Hands Meeting at National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), Calibration Simulation Session, Urbana, IL
2008 Jan Software Requirements for the Prototype Code, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration Simulation Workshop at SLAC, Palo Alto, CA
 
  
  SELECTED CONFERENCES, MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS
 
2014 Apr 5th Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey Science Meeting, Concon, Chile
2014 Apr American Astronomical Society (AAS) 223th Meeting, Washington, DC
2013 Nov Latin American Regional IAU Meeting (LARIM), Florianopolis, Brazil
2013 Jun American Astronomical Society (AAS) 222th Meeting, Indianapolis, IN
2013 Jan American Astronomical Society (AAS) 221th Meeting, Long Beach, CA
2012 Mar 3rd Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey Science Meeting, Vina del Mar, Chile
2012 Jan American Astronomical Society (AAS) 219th Meeting, Austin, TX
2011 Jan American Astronomical Society (AAS) 217th Meeting, Seattle, WA
2010 Dec 1st Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey Science Meeting, Vina del Mar, Chile
2010 Jan American Astronomical Society (AAS) 215th Meeting, Washington, DC
2010 Jan Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration AAS2010 Face-to-Face Splinter Meeting, Washington, DC
2009 Oct Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Camera-Wide Workshop, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA
2009 Aug International Astronomical Union Symposium (IAUS) 266, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2008 Oct Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration Simulation Workshop, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY
2008 May Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) All Hands Meeting at National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), Urbana, IL
2008 Jan Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration Simulation Meeting and Workshop, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), Palo Alto, CA
2007 Sep Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Calibration Simulation Meeting, SLAC, Palo Alto, CA
2007 Feb PYTHON Programming for High Performance Computing Workshop, Ohio Supercomputer Center, Columbus, OH
2006 Dec Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) All Hands Meeting at SLAC, Palo Alto, CA
2006 Sep Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Camera Collaboration/Simulations Workshop at SLAC, Palo Alto, CA
  
  TEACHING EXPERIENCE
  
2019 SUMMER PHYSICS 2A - General Physics I
  PHYSICS 3A - General Physics Lab I
   
2019 SPRING PHYSICS 2A - General Physics I
  PHYSICS 3A - General Physics Lab I
   
2018 FALL PHYSICS 2B - General Physics II
  PHYSICS 3B - General Physics Lab II
   
2018 SUMMER PHYSICS 2A - General Physics I
  PHYSICS 3A - General Physics Lab I
  PHYSICS 4A - Mechanics
   
2005-2006 Intermediate Physics Lab I, II, III; Advanced Lab I,II;
  General Physics for Majors III (T.A.); General Physics III (T.A.)
2004-2005 General Physics for Majors I, II, III (T.A.); Physics of Light and Color (T.A.);
  Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (T.A.); Introductory Physics (T.A.)
2003-2004 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Relativity (T.A.); General Physics Lab I, II
2002-2003 Physics for Scientists and Engineers I, II (T.A.)
 
  
  MEMBERSHIP
 
  American Astronomical Society (AAS)
  American Physical Society (APS)
  VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey Collaboration
  Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Collaboration
 
  
  AWARDS
 
2010 First Place – Research Poster Contest, Physics Department, University of Cincinnati
2009 Second Place – Research Poster Contest, Physics Department, University of Cincinnati
2008 University Research Council (URC) Summer Graduate Student Research Fellowship
 
  
  PUBLIC SERVICE
 
  Referee for The Astronomical Journal (since 2009)
  Referee for The Astrophysical Journal (since 2010)
  Referee for Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (since 2017)
  National Science Foundation (NSF) Panel Review (2011)
  Building Safety Ambassador, Woodland Community College (2019)