David Morris

I am an astrophysicist and program manager with a passion for developing hardware, building partnerships, and contributing to the ongoing revolution in access to space. I have a proven track record of creative project development, critical thinking and problem solving, and effective program management across a wide range on scientific and technical areas with a focus on space science applications. I have demonstrated skill in leading diverse teams across a range of sizes to accomplish goals including hardware development programs, policy development projects, and establishment of international partnerships. I am focused on using my skills to develop access to space for the benefit of science, technology development, and society.

• 2025: NASA Astrophysics Division Award for Outstanding Organization and Management of the Astrophysics Advisory Committee
• 2025: NASA Astrophysics Division Award for Outstanding Service to the Science Mission Directorate
• 2021: NSF Director’s Award for Superior Accomplishment: Promoting Research in Spectrum
• 2020: UVI President Appreciation Award: Dedication to Addressing the COVID19 Challenge
• 2020: UVI WoW Award for Appreciation of Excellence in Teaching
• 2018: UVI WoW Award for Appreciation of Excellence in Teaching

• 2022-23: P.I. NASA-MUREP : “The UVI Pre-College Engineering Summer Institute”
• 2020-22: P.I. NASA-MIRO : “The First 4-Year Engineering-Focused Degree at UVI”
• 2018-21: P.I. NASA : “UVI BurstCube: A Prototype Gamma-Ray-Burst Nanosatellite at UVI”
• 2017: P.I. VI-WRRI : “Unifying Precipitation Monitoring Across St. Thomas MicroClimates”
• 2016-18: P.I. NASA : “NASA-EPSCoR in the Virgin Islands”
• 2015-20: P.I. NASA-MIRO : “The First 4-Year Physics and Astronomy Degree at UVI”
• 2009-23: TOTAL GRANTS AWARDED AS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR $7.2M

• 2025 (Workshop Led): “Science Mission Directorate Inclusion Plan Pilot: Lessons Learned from the Astrophysics Community”, 245th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, January 16, 2025
• 2024 (Workshop Led): “Lessons Learned from the Implementation of Inclusion Plan Pilots at NASA”, 243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, January 8, 2024
• 2022 (Inv Talk): “Federal Government and Spectrum Management Needs”, National Spectrum Management Association, 37th Annual Conference, May 18, 2022
• 2021 (Article): “STEM: Improving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness”, Open Access Government December 17, 2021
• 2021 (Inv Talk): “NSF Electromagnetic Spectrum Management” DODCIO EMSO Spectrum Summit, July XX, 2021
• 2021 (Inv Talk): “How Astrophysics Transformed an HBCU”, American Astronomical Society 237th Meeting Splinter Session: Enhancing Participation of MSIs in Space Science, January 11, 2021
• 2018 (Inv Talk): “Physics and Astronomy at UVI: New Education and Research Initiatives” NRAO, Charlottesville, VA, July 19, 2018
• 2018 (Inv Talk): “Physics and Astronomy at UVI: New Education and Research Initiatives” William Hrudey Conference, Grand Cayman, July 19, 2018
• 2018 (Inv Talk): “Physics and Astronomy at UVI: New Education and Research Initiatives” Nat. Aca. of Sci., Washington, DC, July 19, 2018

Courses developed noted in bold:

• PHY104 Descriptive Astronomy
• PHY211 College Physics I: Introductory Mechanics
• PHY212 College Physics II: Introductory Electricity and Magnetism
• PHY241 University Physics I: Introductory Mechanics
• PHY242 University Physics II: Introductory Electricity and Magnetism
• PHY271 Astrophysics I
• PHY311 Classical Mechanics
• PHY341 Modern Physics
• PHY351 Modern Physics Lab
• PHY411 Statistical Mechanics
• PHY465 Island Systems Innovators
• PHY482 Astrophysics II Lab

• Gendre, B., Orange, N.B., Moore, E., Klotz, A., Coward, D.M., Giblin, T., Gokuldas, P., and Morris, D. (2022). ‘Modeling the GRB 170202A fireball from continuous observations with the Zadko and the Virgin Island Robotic Telescopes’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 929, no. 1, pp. 10
• Antier, S. and 57 coauthors, (2020). ‘GRANDMA observations of advanced LIGO’s and advanced Virgo’s third observational campaign’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 497, no. 4, pp. 5518-5539
• Martone R., Guidorzi, C., Mundell., Kobayashi, S., Cucchiara, A., Gomboc, A., Jordana, N., Laskar, T., Marongiu, M., Morris, D.C., Smith, R.J., Steetlt, I.A. (2019). ‘A Robotic Pipeline for Fast GRB Followup with the Las Cumbres Observatory Network’, Experimental Astronomy, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 25-48
• Amati, L. and 208 co-authors, (2018). ‘The THESEUS Space Mission Concept: Science Case, Design and Expected Performance’, Advances in Space Research, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 191-244
• Andreoni, I. and 124 coauthors, (2017). ‘Follow-Up of GW170817 and its Electromagnetic Counterpart by Australian-Led Observing Programmes’, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, vol. 34, pp. 21
• Abbott, B.P. and 3674 co-authors, (2017). ‘Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 848, no. 2, pp. 59
• Corcoran, M.F., Liburd, J., Morris, D., Russell, C.M.P., Hamaguchi, K., Gull, T.R., Madura, T.I., Teodoro, M., Moffatt, A.F.J., Richardson, N.D., Hillier, D.J., Damineli, A., and Groh, J.H. (2017). ‘The 2014 X-ray Minimum of eta Carinae as Seen by Swift’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 838 , no. 1, pp. 12
• Orange, N.B., Chesny, D.L., Gendre, B., Morris, D.C., Oluseyi, H.M. (2016). ‘Solar Atmospheric Magnetic Energy Coupling: Broad Plasma Conditions and Spectrum Regimes’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 833, no. 2, pp. 14
• Hakkila, J., Lien, A., Sakamoto, T., Morris, D., Neff, J., Giblin, T. (2015). ‘Swift Observations of Gamma-Ray Burst Pulse Shapes: GRB Pulse Spectral Evolution Clarified’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 815, no. 2, pp. 16
• MacLachlan, G.A., Shenoy, A., Sonbas, E., Dhuga, K.S., Cobb, B.E., Ukwatta, T.N., Morris, D.C., Eskandarian, A., Maximon, L.C., Parke, W.C. (2013). ‘Minimum Variability Time-scales of Long and Short GRBs’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society vol. 432, no. 2, pp. 9
• Ukwatta, T. N., Dhuga, K. S., Morris, D. C., MacLachlan, G., Parke, W. C., Maximon, L. C., Eskandarian, A., Gehrels, N., Norris, J. P., Shenoy, A. (2013). ‘A New Frequency-Luminosity Relation for Long Gamma-Ray Bursts?’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 412, no. 2, pp. 857-865
• Morris, D.C., Smith, R.K., Markwardt, C.B., Mushotsky, R.F., Tueller, J., Kallman, T.R., Dhuga, K.S. (2009). ‘Suzaku Observations of Four Heavily Absorbed HMXBs’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 699, no. 1, pp. 902-910
• Evans, P. A., Beardmore, A. P., Page, K. L., Osborne, J. P., O’Brien, P. T., Willingale, R., Starling, R. L. C., Burrows, D. N., Godet, O., Vetere, L., Racusin, J., Goad, M. R., Wiersema, K., Angelini, L., Capalbi, M., Chincarini, G., Gehrels, N., Kennea, J. A., Margutti, R., Morris, D. C., Mountford, C. J., Pagani, C., Perri, M., Romano, P., Tanvir, N. (2009). ‘Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift-XRT observations of GRBs’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 397, no. 3, pp. 1177-1201
• Morris, D.C. (2008). PhDThesis, ‘X-ray Flares in Gamma-Ray Bursts’, AAT 3325952; ISBN: 9780549774358
• Lichti, G. G., Bottacini, E., Ajello, M., Charlot, P., Collmar, W., Falcone, A., Horan, D., Huber, S., von Kienlin, A., Lahteenmaki, A., Lindfors, E., Morris, D., Nilsson, K., Petry, D., Ruger, M., Sillanpaa, A., Spanier, F., Tornikoski, M. (2008). ‘INTEGRAL observations of the blazar Mrk 421 in outburst. Results of a multi-wavelength campaign’, Astronomy and Astrophysics vol. 486, no. 3, pp. 721-734
• Falcone, A.D., Morris, D.C., Racusin, J., Chincarini, G., Moretti, A., Romano, P., Burrows, D.N., Pagani, C., Stroh, M., Grupe, D., Campana, S., Covino, S., Tagliaferri, G., Willingale, R., Gehrels, N. (2008). ‘The First Survey of X-ray Flares from Gamma Ray Bursts Observed by Swift: Spectral Properties and Energetics’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 671, no. 2, pp. 1921-1938
• Chincarini, G., Moretti, A., Romano, P., Falcone, A. D., Morris, D., Racusin, J., Campana, S., Covino, S., Guidorzi, C., Tagliaferri, G., Burrows, D. N., Pagani, C., Stroh, M., Grupe, D., Capalbi, M., Cusumano, G., Gehrels, N., Giommi, P., La Parola, V., Mangano, V., Mineo, T., Nousek, J. A., O’Brien, P. T., Page, K. L., Perri, M., Troja, E., Willingale, R., Zhang, B. (2007). ‘The First Survey of X-Ray Flares from Gamma Ray Bursts Observed by Swift: Temporal Properties and Morphology’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 671, no. 2, pp. 1903-1920
• Guidorzi, C., Vergani, S. D., Sazonov, S., Covino, S., Malesani, D., Molkov, S., Palazzi, E., Romano, P., Campana, S., Chincarini, G., Fugazza, D., Moretti, A., Tagliaferri, G., Llorente, A., Gorosabel, J., Antonelli, L. A., Capalbi, M., Cusumano, G., D’Avanzo, P., Mangano, V., Masetti, N., Meurs, E., Mineo, T., Molinari, E., Morris, D. C., Nicastro, L., Page, K. L., Perri, M., Sbarufatti, B., Stratta, G., Sunyaev, R., Troja, E., Zerbi, F. M. (2007). ‘GRB 070311: a direct link between the prompt emission and the afterglow’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 474, no. 3, pp. 793-805
• Krimm, H. A., Granot, J., Marshall, F. E., Perri, M., Barthelmy, S. D., Burrows, D. N., Gehrels, N., Mszros, P., Morris, D. (2007). ‘GRB 060714: No Clear Dividing Line between Prompt Emission and X-Ray Flares’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 665, no. 1, pp. 554-568
• Godet, O., Page, K. L., Osborne, J., Zhang, B., Burrows, D. N., O’Brien, P. T., Hill, J. E., Racusin, J., Beardmore, A. P., Goad, M. R., Falcone, A., Morris, D. C., Ziaeepour, H. (2007). ‘GRB 050822: detailed analysis of an XRF observed by Swift’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 471, no. 2, pp. 385-394
• Evans, P. A., Beardmore, A. P., Page, K. L., Tyler, L. G., Osborne, J. P., Goad, M. R., O’Brien, P. T., Vetere, L., Racusin, J., Morris, D., Burrows, D. N., Capalbi, M., Perri, M., Gehrels, N., Romano, P. (2007). ‘An online repository of Swift/XRT light curves of -ray bursts’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 469, no. 1, pp. 379-385
• Grupe, Dirk, Gronwall, Caryl, Wang, Xiang-Yu, Roming, Peter W. A., Cummings, Jay, Zhang, Bing, Mszros, Peter, Trigo, Maria Diaz, O’Brien, Paul T., Page, Kim L., Beardmore, Andy, Godet, Olivier, vanden Berk, Daniel E., Brown, Peter J., Koch, Scott, Morris, David, Stroh, Michael, Burrows, David N., Nousek, John A., McMath Chester, Margaret, Immler, Stefan, Hangano, Vanessa, Romano, Patrizia, Chincarini, Guido, Osborne, Julian, Sakamoto, Takanori, Gehrels, Neil (2007). ‘Swift and XMM-Newton observations of the extraordinary Gamma-Ray Burst 060729: More than 125 Days of X-Ray Afterglow’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 662, no. 1, pp. 443-458
• Burrows, D. N., Falcone, A., Chincarini, G., Morris, D., Romano, P., Hill, J. E., Godet, O., Moretti, A., Krimm, H., Osborne, J. P., Racusin, J., Mangano, V., Page, K., Perri, M., Stroh, M., The Swift XRT Team. (2007). ‘X-ray flares in early GRB afterglows’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, vol. 365, no. 1854, pp. 1213-1226
• Schaady, G., Mason, K. O., Page, M. J., de Pasquale, M., Morris, D. C., Romano, P., Roming, P. W. A., Immler, S., vanden Berk, D. E. (2007). ‘Dust and gas in the local environments of gamma-ray bursts’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 377, no. 1, pp. 273-284
• Morris, D.C., Reeves, J., Pal’shin, V., Garczarczyk, M., Falcone, A. D., Burrows, D. N., Krimm, H., Galante, N., Gaug, M., Golenetskii, S., Mizobuchi, S., Pagani, C., Stamera, A., Teshima, M., Beardmore, A. P., Godet, O., Gehrels, N. (2007). ‘GRB050713A: High Energy Observations of the GRB Prompt and Afterglow Emission’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 654, no. 1, pp. 413-428
• Pagani, Claudio, Morris, David C., Kobayashi, Shiho, Sakamoto, Takanori, Falcone, Abraham D., Moretti, Alberto, Page, Kim, Burrows, David N., Grupe, Dirk, Retter, Alon, Racusin, Judith, Kennea, Jamie A., Campana, Sergio, Romano, Patrizia, Tagliaferri, Gianpiero, Hill, Joanne E., Angelini, Lorella, Cusumano, Giancarlo, Goad, Michael R., Barthelmy, Scott, Chincarini, Guido, Wells, Alan, Giommi, Paolo, Nousek, John A., Gehrels, Neil. (2006). ‘The Swift X-ray Flaring Afterglow of GRB050607’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 645, no. 2, pp. 1315-1322
• Godet, O., Page, K. L., Osborne, J. P., O’Brien, P. T., Burrows, D. N., Hill, J. E., Zhang, B., Beardmore, A. P., Angelini, L., Capalbi, M., Cummings, J., Gehrels, N., Goad, M. R., Kennea, J. A., Mangano, V., Moretti, A., Morris, D. C. (2006). ‘X-ray flares in the early Swift observations of the possible naked gamma-ray burst 050421’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 452, no. 3, pp. 819-825
• Romano, P., Moretti, A., Banat, P. L., Burrows, D. N., Campana, S., Chincarini, G., Covino, S., Malesani, D., Tagliaferri, G., Kobayashi, S., Zhang, B., Falcone, A. D., Angelini, L., Barthelmy, S., Beardmore, A. P., Capalbi, M., Cusumano, G., Giommi, P., Goad, M. R., Godet, O., Grupe, D., Hill, J. E., Kennea, J. A., La Parola, V., Mangano, V., Mszros, P., Morris, D. C., Nousek, J. A., O’Brien, P. T., Osborne, J. P., Parsons, A., Perri, M., Pagani, C., Page, K. L., Wells, A. A., Gehrels, N. (2006). ‘X-ray flare in XRF 050406: evidence for prolonged engine activity’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 450, no. 1, pp. 59-68
• Goad, M. R., Tagliaferri, G., Page, K. L., Moretti, A., Osborne, J. P., Kobayashi, S., Kumar, P., Mszros, P. I., Chincarini, G., Sakamoto, T., Zhang, B., Barthelmy, S. D., Beardmore, A. P., Burrows, D. N., Campana, S., Capalbi, M., Cominsky, L., Cusumano, G., Gehrels, N., Giommi, P., Godet, O., Hill, J. E., Kennea, J. A., Krimm, H., La Parola, V., Mangano, V., Mineo, T., Morris, D. C., Mukherjee, K., Nousek, J. A., O’Brien, P. T., Pagani, C., Perri, M., Romano, P., Wells, A. A. (2006). ‘Swift observations of the prompt X-ray emission and afterglow from GRB050126 and GRB050219A’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 449, no. 1, pp. 89-100
• Campana, S., Romano, P., Covino, S., Lazzati, D., de Luca, A., Chincarini, G., Moretti, A., Angelini, L., Antonelli, L. A., Burrows, D. N., Hill, J. E., Racusin, J. L., Kennea, J. A., Morris, D. C., Pagani, C., Nousek, J. A., Osborne, J. P., Goad, M. R., Page, K. L., Beardmore, A. P., Godet, O., O’Brien, P. T., Wells, A. A., Angelini, L., Gehrels, N. (2006). ‘Evidence for intrinsic absorption in the Swift X-ray afterglows’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 449, no. 1, pp. 61-65
• Angelini, Lorella, Pagani, Claudio, Morris, David C., Chincarini, Guido, Gehrels, Neil, Wells, Alan, Nousek, John A., Kennea, Jamie A., Morris, D. C. (2006). ‘GRB 050117: Simultaneous Gamma-Ray and X-Ray Observations with the Swift Satellite’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 639, no. 1, pp. 303-310
• Moretti, A., Perri, M., Capalbi, M., Angelini, L., Hill, J. E., Campana, S., Burrows, D. N., Osborne, J. P., Tagliaferri, G., Cusumano, G., Giommi, P., Romano, P., Mineo, T., Kennea, J., Morris, D., Nousek, J., Pagani, C., Racusin, J., Abbey, A. F., Beardmore, A. P., Godet, O., Goad, M. R., Page, K. L., Wells, A. A., Chincarini, G. (2006). ‘A refined position catalogue of the Swift XRT afterglows’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 448, no. 2, pp. L9-L12
• Vaughan, S., Goad, M. R., Beardmore, A. P., O’Brien, P. T., Osborne, J. P., Page, K. L., Barthelmy, S. D., Burrows, D. N., Campana, S., Cannizzo, J. K., Capalbi, M., Chincarini, G., Cummings, J. R., Cusumano, G., Giommi, P., Godet, O., Hill, J. E., Kobayashi, S., Kumar, P., La Parola, V., Levan, A., Mangano, V., Mszros, P., Moretti, A., Morris, D. C., Nousek, J. A., Pagani, C., Palmer, D. M., Racusin, J. L., Romano, P., Tagliaferri, G., Zhang, B., Gehrels, N. (2006). ‘Swift Observations of the X-Ray-Bright GRB 050315’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 638, no. 2, pp. 920-929
• Perri, M., Giommi, P., Capalbi, M., Amati, L., Frontera, F., Chincarini, G., Campana, S., Moretti, A., Romano, P., Tagliaferri, G., Cusumano, G., La Parola, V., Mangano, V., Mineo, T., Burrows, D. N., Hill, J. E., Kennea, J. A., Morris, D. C., Nousek, J. A., Angelini, L., Gehrels, N., Still, M., Beardmore, A. P., Goad, M. R., Godet, O., O’Brien, P. T., Osborne, J. P., Page, K. L. (2005). ‘Swift XRT observations of the breaking X-ray afterglow of GRB 050318’, Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 442, no. 2, pp. L1-L5
• Burrows, D.N., Romano, P., Falcone, A., Kobayashi, S., Zhang, B., Moretti, A., O’Brien, P.T., Goad, M.R., Campana, S., Page, K.L., Angelini, L., Barthelmy, S., Beardmore, A.P., Capalbi, M., Chincarini, G., Cummings, J., Cusumano, G., Fox, D., Giommi, P., Hill, J.E., Kennea, J.A., Krimm, H., Mangano, V., Marshall, F., Mszros, P., Morris, D.C., Nousek, J.A., Osborne, J.P., Pagani, C., Perri, M., Tagliaferri, G., Wells, A.A., Woosley, S., Gehrels, N. (2005). ‘Bright X-ray Flares in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows’, Science, vol. 309, no. 5742, pp. 1833-1835
• Tagliaferri, G., Goad, M., Chincarini, G., Moretti, A., Campana, S., Burrows, D. N., Perri, M., Barthelmy, S. D., Gehrels, N., Krimm, H., Sakamoto, T., Kumar, P., Mszros, P. I., Kobayashi, S., Zhang, B., Angelini, L., Banat, P., Beardmore, A. P., Capalbi, M., Covino, S., Cusumano, G., Giommi, P., Godet, O., Hill, J. E., Kennea, J. A., Mangano, V., Morris, D. C., Nousek, J. A., O’Brien, P. T., Osborne, J. P., Pagani, C., Page, K. L., Romano, P., Stella, L., Wells, A. (2005). ‘An unexpectedly rapid decline in the X-ray afterglow emission of long -ray bursts’, Nature, vol. 436, no. 7053, pp. 985-988
• Tagliaferri, G., Campana, S., Chincarini, G., Citterio, O., Moretti, A., Romano, P., Burrows, D. N., Hill, J. E., Kennea, J., Morris, D. C., Nousek, J. A., Pagani, C., Wells, A., Abbey, A. F., Beardmore, A., Goad, M. R., Osborne, J., Page, K., Capalbi, M., Giommi, P., Perri, M., Tamburelli, F., Angelini, L., Cusumano, G., Mangano, V., La Parola, V., Hartner, G. D. (2005). ‘Characteristics and Performance of the Swift X-Ray telescope’, Il Nuovo Cimento C, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 857
• Burrows, D. N., Hill, J. E., Chincarini, G., Tagliaferri, G., Campana, S., Moretti, A., Romano, P., Malesani, D., Racusin, J. L., Kobayashi, S., Zhang, B., Mszros, P., O’Brien, P. T., Willingale, R., Beardmore, A. P., Capalbi, M., Cusumano, G., D’Avanzo, S., Goad, M. R., Kennea, J. A., Morris, D. C., Pagani, C., Page, K. L., Stella, L., Nousek, J. A., Wells, A. A., Gehrels, N. (2005). ‘Swift X-Ray telescope and Very Large Telescope Observations of the Afterglow of GRB 041223’, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 622, no. 2, pp. L85-L88