Dr. Kristine Larsen

Kristine Larsen was born in New Haven Connecticut on May 13, 1963.

She graduated from Orville H. Platt High School in June 1981, and attended Central Connecticut State University, where she majored in Physics and was a member of the university's first Honors Program.

After graduating from CCSU she attended graduate school at the University of Connecticut, where she earned a Masters and Ph.D. in Physics.

She has been on the faculty of Central Connecticut State University since 1989.

Among her recent publications are the following:

"Harry Potter and the Upcoming Venus-Jupiter Conjunction: A Unique Outreach Opportunity." Communicating Astronomy to the Public Journal #4, 2008: 16-17.

"A Little Earth of His Own: Tolkien's Lunar Creation Myths." In The Ring Goes Ever On: Proceedings of the Tolkien 2005 Conference, The Tolkien Society, 2008.

"Whistling Meteors, Vibrating Cameras, and the Moon-Struck Iris: Popular-level Writings of Dorrit Hoffleit." In The Hoffleit Centennial, L. Davis Press, 2008.

"Shadow and Flame: Myth, Monsters, and Mother Nature in Middle-earth." In The Mirror Crack'd: Fear and Horror in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and its Sources, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2008.

"A Elbereth Gilthoniel: The Cosmological 'Goddesses' of The Silmarillion." Parme Nole: Journal of the Northeast Tolkien Society #19-20, 2008: 43-51.

"Selling Science: String Theory as 'Science Porn'." In Riffing on Strings, Scriblerus Press, 2008.

"Students as Starry Messengers: Curricular Engagement and the International Year of Astronomy ." New England Faculty Development Consortium Exchange 19(1): 14-15, 2008.

“The Art of World-making: Lost and Time Travel.” Lost Studies Online 2.1, 2008.

"The Universe is Universal: Creating Astronomy-based Learning Communities." Cosmos in the Classroom 2007, ASP Press, 2008: 71-4.

"The Harmony of the Spheres: An Astronomy/Music Learning Community." Cosmos in the Classroom 2007, ASP Press, 2008: 183-6.

"(V)Arda Marred: The Evolution of the Queen of the Stars in Tolkien's Legendarium." Mallorn: Journal of the Tolkien Society 45, 2008: 31-6.

“'Rose-stained in the Sunset': Elwing and her Possible Planetary Counterpart." Amon Hen: Bulletin of the Tolkien Society, 209, 2008:17-20.

"This I (Believe) Understand: The Importance of Banning the B-word From Science." Astronomy Education Review, 6(2), 2008: 118-26