Robert Alexander

Office:

2435 Space Research Building

Email:

rlalexan@umich.edu

Web:

http://www.robertalexandermusic.com

Education:

M.A., Media Arts, University of Michigan
B.A., Performing Arts Technology, University of Michigan

Research:

Data Sonification Specialist, Solar Heliospheric Research Group

Specializations and Research Interests

My research lies at the intersection of technology and creativity.  As a Design Science Ph.D pre-candidate,  I am working to construct software interfaces for exploring scientific data in new ways.  The core of my research lies in data sonfication with the Solar Heliospheric Research Group.   Sonification is a process through which any kind of non-auditory data is translated as sound. We're transforming space data into the sonic realm such that we can gain a new perspective, and begin to ask new questions.

Honors, Awards and Accomplishments

• NASA-Harriett G. Jenkins Pre-doctoral Fellowship Project (JPFP)  Award
• International Community for Auditory Display: Outstanding Achievement Award
• University of Michigan Dean's Named Fellowship 2010-2011
• Imagine Science Films, Artist in Residence 2011
• MiND Ensemble Director 2010-2011
• Yahoo! Campus Innovations Award
• Yahoo! Boost Award
• Rackham Summer Research Grant, 2011
• Computer Music Instructor, Interlochen Youth Arts Camp, Summer 2009-2010

Multimedia

VICE Documentary: Using the Sun to Make Music

NPR Interview: All Things Considered

Michigan Engineering: Listening to Solar Storms

Scienceline: Listening to the Sun on a Loop

Publications

• E. Landi, R. L. Alexander, J. R. Gruesbeck, J. A. Gilbert, S. T. Lepri, W. B. Manchester and T. H. Zurbuchen, Carbon Ionization Stages as a Diagnostic of the Solar Wind (2012), The Astrophysical Journal, 744, 100.
• Alexander, R. L., O'Modhrain, S., Gilbert, J.A. Zurbuchen, T.H.T, Simoni, M. (2012). Recognition of Audified Data in Untrained Listeners. International Conference on Auditory Display. Proc. 18^th Int. Conf. Aud. Disp (ICAD 2011): 135-140.
• Alexander, R. L., Gilbert, J., Landi, E., Simoni, M., Zurbuchen, T.H., Roberts, D., Audification as a Diagnostic Tool for Exploratory Heliospheric Data Analysis. (2011), Proc. 17^th Int. Conf. Aud. Disp (ICAD 2011)
• Alexander, R. L., Zurbuchen, T.H., Gilbert, J, Lepri, S., Raines, J., Sonification of ACE Level 2 Solar Wind Data. (2010), Proc. 16^th Int. Conf. Aud. Disp (ICAD 2010), 39-40
• Alexander, R. L., Umbaugh, J., Turley, P. A Demonstration of Algorithmic Music Composition in the Noteworks Software Platform. (2010), Proc. 16th Int. Conf. Aud. Disp (ICAD 2010)