The Year 2008

• Celebrated 10 years of Sunwheel gatherings, with over 300 sunrise and sunset talks attended by 10,000 visitors

• Completed and submitted book proposal for "Sunwheel -- A Complete Guide to Creating and Using an Astronomically Aligned Stone Circle"

• Sunwheel is built in Holland, inspired by U.Mass. Sunwheel, and book is published (in Dutch) including several photographs of U.Mass. Sunwheel and my diagrams translated into Dutch

• Gave 2 talks to public on "Sunwheels and Everyday Astronomy"

• 514 visitors attended 20 Sunwheel gatherings in 2008 (through November):
  • 450 visitors attended 16 sunrise and sunset gatherings on the solstices and equinoxes
  • 64 K-12 students and teachers attended 4 daytime gatherings

The Year 2007

• Associated Press story "U.Mass. Sunwheel Marks Passage of Time in an Ancient Fashion" appears in papers around New England

• Sunwheels are built in Japan and Australia, inspired by the U.Mass. Sunwheel

• Invited keynote address "Sunwheels for the 21st Century" at Spirit of Change 20th Anniversary Holistic Expo. and Celebration, Sturbridge, Mass., Sept. 2007

• 510 visitors attended 19 Sunwheel gatherings in 2007:
  • 472 visitors attended 16 sunrise and sunset gatherings on the solstices and equinoxes
  • 38 K-12 students and teachers attended 3 daytime gatherings

The Year 2006

• Full-page story in Feb.-March 2006 issue of MTA Today (Massachusetts Teacher Association publication) on Sunwheel, with discussion of lessons I created to measure tilt of Earth's axis and determine the 4 cardinal directions
  

• Installed new standing stone at Sunwheel to mark setting direction of bright star Sirius, and expanded exhibit to give dates and times to observe Sirius and Aldebaran setting

• Invited keynote address "The Major Lunar Standstill at Calendar Sites Around the World" at annual meeting of the Eastern States Archaeological Federation, Nov. 2006

• Added table to web article "Moon Teachings for the Masses", giving monthly dates and declinations of northernmost and southernmost Moons through 2007
  • this article was described by a recent reader as "the clearest and most excellent description on the Internet"

• Advised Washington Post writer of September "Skywatch Column" regarding Moon's sky wanderings during a Major Lunar Standstill year

• Google search on 'Major Lunar Standstill' brings up Sunwheel web site in top 4

• Monitored web traffic to Sunwheel web site:
  • Web traffic increased from 100 visitors/week in 2003-2005 to over 500 visitors/week in 2006
  • Web site visitors are distributed around the world, typically 1/3 from outside the United States
  • 33% of web site visitors enter through the article "Moon Teachings for the Masses"
  • 10,000 people visited Sunwheel web site between June & December 2006

• 822 visitors attended 27 Sunwheel gatherings in 2006:
  • 612 visitors attended 18 sunrise and sunset gatherings on the solstices and equinoxes
  • 210 K-12 students and teachers attended 9 daytime gatherings
  • given over 303 talks on astronomy at Sunwheel gatherings since 1997

• Over 19,501 people visited the Sunwheel since it's construction in 1997
  • 1,762 people visited the Sunwheel on their own and signed the guest book in 2006

The Year 2005

• Presented invited 1-hour Education Press Conference at January 2005 meeting of the American Astronomical Society, "Moon Teachings for the Masses at the U.Mass. Sunwheel and Around the World"

• Presented a poster for astronomers at the January 2005 meeting of the American Astronomical Society, "Moon Teachings for the Masses at the U.Mass. Sunwheel and Around the World"

• Installed 15 beautiful granite pillars at the Sunwheel site to replace aluminum posts which support the textual exhibit there

• Installed a new standing stone to mark the setting direction of the bright star Aldebaran

• Newspaper articles and stories describing the Sunwheel appeared in The Washington Post, "A Woman's Place in the Cosmos", and The Daily Collegian
  

• Designed and created new color pamphlet for the Sunwheel

• Began teaching about the Moon's 18.6-year cycle
  • led moonrise and moonset gatherings for the Southernmost Full Moon of June, which happened to coincide with the day of the Summer Solstice
  • installed my article "Moon Teachings for the Masses" on Sunwheel web site

• 944 visitors attended 30 Sunwheel gatherings in 2005:
  • 730 visitors attended 23 sunrise and sunset gatherings on the solstices and equinoxes
  • 214 K-12 students and teachers attended 7 daytime gatherings
  • given 276 talks on astronomy at the Sunwheel since 1997

• Over 16,950 people have visited the Sunwheel since it's construction in 1997
  • 1,494 people visited the Sunwheel on their own and signed the guest book in 2005

The Year 2004

• Began writing a book entitled Sunwheel -- the idea, the design, the underlying astronomy, and the story of building a stone circle at the end of the 20th century

• Visited stone circles around the world while on sabbatical
  • Stonehenge, Callanish, and the Blacktail Sunwheel
  • obtained Private Access to Stonehenge for 4 visits

• Designed granite pillars for the Sunwheel exhibit

• Selected a new granite standing stone for the setting direction of the bright star Aldebaran

• Newspaper articles on the Sunwheel appeared in The Daily Hampshire Gazette and The Collegian, "U.Mass. Celebrates Autumnal Equinox"

• Created a power point talk "Moon Teachings for the Masses at the U.Mass. Sunwheel and around the World", in preparation for teaching the public about the Major Lunar Standstill (2005-2007) and the Moon's 18.6-year cycle

• Presented 3 talks on the Sunwheel Project, including a colloquium to over 100 attendees at the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii

• 693 visitors attended 25 Sunwheel gatherings in 2004:
  • 503 visitors attended 17 sunrise and sunset gatherings on the solstices and equinoxes
  • 190 K-12 students and teachers attended 8 daytime gatherings

• Over 15,460 people have visited the Sunwheel since it's construction in 1997
  • 1,701 people visited the Sunwheel on their own and signed the guest book in 2004

The Year 2003

• Newspaper articles on the Sunwheel appeared in The Daily Hampshire Gazette, "Winter Solstice Draws a Crowd", and in The Worcester Telegram and Gazette

• Invited talk ""Stone Circles Old and New: Sunwheels for the 21st Century," presented at the University Women's Network, U.Mass. Amherst, Feb. 2003.

  
  

• Installed web site counter on Sunwheel web site, and learned that 100-200 people from around the globe access web site each week

• Created power point talk on 'The Sunwheel Project'

• Received Copyright on The Sunwheel Exhibit from U.S. Copyright Office on March 7, 2003

• Created PHOTO GALLERY of hundreds of Sunwheel photos, accessible on the Sunwheel web site

• Completed script and filming for video on building of the Sunwheel

• 422 visitors attended 26 Sunwheel gatherings in 2003, in spite of having a VERY WET year:
  • 263 visitors attended 17 gatherings at sunrise and sunset on the solstices and equinoxes
  • 159 K-12 students and teachers attended 9 daytime gatherings

• Over 13,760 people have visited the Sunwheel since it's construction in 1997
  • 1,399 people visited the Sunwheel on their own and signed the guest book in 2003

The Year 2002

• Associated Press story "Professor Makes Calendar of Stones" was distributed worldwide on Feb. 24, 2002

• Received and responded to over 50 e-mail messages and questions from around the world about Sunwheels, the ecliptic, the Sun and Moon following AP story

• All Things Considered story "Stonehenge Amherst" aired nationwide on National Public Radio on March 23, 2002

• Invited talk "Stone Circles Old and New: Sunwheels for the 21st Century," presented at the U.S. Dept. of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., May 2002

• "Sunwheels for the 21st Century" poster display presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Albuquerque, N.M., June 2002

• New England Astronomy Outreach Award of the Springfield Stars Club awarded to me for the Sunwheel project on June 21, 2002 at Summer Solstice sunset gathering

• Boston Globe article about Sunwheel "Stones and Stars" appeared Sunday Dec. 22, 2002

• 1,277 visitors attended 41 Sunwheel gatherings in 2002:
  • 806 visitors attended 17 sunrise/sunset gatherings on solstices and equinoxes
  • 471 K-12 students & teachers attended 24 daytime gatherings, including Science Days participants, 6th grade classes, high school classes, etc.
  • A record 223 people attended the Summer Solstice sunset gathering on June 21, 2002

• 2,552 people visited the Sunwheel on their own and signed the guest book in 2002

The Year 2001

• U.Mass. Magazine article on the Sunwheel "Let the Sun Shine Through..." appeared in the Winter 2001 issue

• Invited presentation at the Sunwheel for "Four Seasons", a STEMTEC Workshop for Teachers held in March 2001

• Daily Hampshire Gazette story "Welcome Spring" appeared March 21, 2001

• Presented booth on The Sunwheel Project for Astronomy Day at the Boston Museum of Science, April 2001

• Evening public talk "Sunwheels for the 21st Century" at Chaco Canyon National Park, New Mexico in June 2001

• Invited talk entitled "A Sunwheel for the 21st Century" at Amateur Astronomers' Conjunction, Northfield, MA, July 2001

• Expanded Sunwheel Exhibit at the site to include information on moonstones

• Added 4 'sitting stones' to the Sunwheel as benches for visitors, Oct. 2001

• Greenfield Recorder story "Astronomy Professor Creates Calendar of Standing Stones" appeared Dec. 15, 2001

• Springfield Union-News story "Wheel's the Place for Solstice Fans" appeared on Saturday Dec. 22, 2001

• 1,119 visitors attended 43 Sunwheel gatherings in 2001:
  • 669 visitors attended sunrise/sunset gatherings on solstices and equinoxes
  • 450 K-12 students & teachers attended 23 daytime gatherings, including Science Days participants, 6th grade classes, high school classes, etc.

• 2,806 people visited Sunwheel on their own and signed the guest book in 2001

The Year 2000

• American Scientist story "A Megalith for the Millennium" appeared Jan. 2000

• Campus Chronicle story "Grant Supports Sunwheel Expansion" appeared March 24, 2000

• U.Mass. Daily Collegian story "Sunwheel Grant for University" appeared March 27, 2000

• Nominated for President's Award for Public Service to the Commonwealth, March 2000

• Distinguished Academic Outreach Award received for Sunwheel Project in Spring 2000

• Invited paper "Sunwheels for the 21st Century" appeared in The Compendium, the Quarterly Journal of the North American Sundial Society, Sept. 2000

• Completed paper on "The Design and Construction of the U.Mass. Sunwheel" in Oct. 2000

• Gave 4 talks on "Solar Calendars and Stone Circles" including Science Days, Rotary Club, and Fort River School

• COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF SUNWHEEL, Nov. 6-9, 2000!
  • Added 14 beautiful 8'-10' tall standing stones, 56 tons of granite
  • Stones from Chester Granite Co., East Otis, MA

• Daily Hampshire Gazette story "Sunwheel Gets its Final Stones" appeared Nov. 17, 2000

• The Campus Chronicle story "Stone Temple Pilots" appeared on Nov. 17, 2000

• Greenfield Recorder story "U.Mass. Sunwheel Ready to Shine" appeared on Nov. 27, 2000

• 746 visitors attended 38 Sunwheel gatherings in 2000:
  • 527 visitors attended sunrise/sunset gatherings on solstices and equinoxes
  • 219 K-12 students & teachers attended 16 daytime gatherings

• 1,895 people visited the Sunwheel on their own and signed the guest book in 2000

The Year 1999

• Amherst Bulletin story on Sunwheel, entitled "I Love Helping People Understand about the Universe" appeared Jan.1, 1999

• NSF grant for $74,960 awarded to cover the cost of tall stones for the Sunwheel, August 1999

• Invited talk "Sunwheels for the 21st Century" presented at North American Sundial Society Annual Meeting in Hartford, CT in October 1999

• "A Solstice Lesson" appeared in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on Dec. 22, 1999

• The Sunwheel is featured in the book entitled Stone Circles, by Rob Roy

• Presented 7 talks on the Sunwheel to teachers, colleagues, U.Mass. families, amateur astronomers, and elders

• 941 visitors attended 40 Sunwheel gatherings in 1999:
  • 507 visitors attended sunrise/sunset gatherings on solstices and equinoxes
  • 434 K-12 students & teachers attended 23 daytime gatherings
  • 142 visitors attended the Winter Solstice sunset gathering on Dec. 22, 1999

• 1,515 people visited the Sunwheel on their own and signed the guest book beginning May 1999

The Year 1998

• U.Mass. Magazine story "Here Comes the Sun: Squinting into the Future at the U.Mass. Sunwheel" appeared Winter 1998

• Daily Hampshire Gazette story "Solstice, Sunwheel Invitation" appeared June 1998

• Invited talk "Bringing the Sky to Earth" for area amateur astronomers at Arunah Hill Days in Cummington, MA, August 1998

• Gave talk at Blacktail Sunwheel, Wolf Creek, MT -- this is the Sunwheel which inspired the U.Mass. Sunwheel -- Autumnal Equinox, 1998

• 2 interviews with me were taped at the Sunwheel for the National Public Radio show Pulse of the Planet, which aired on 230 public and commercial radio stations in the U.S. and abroad for the Winter Solstice, Dec. 1998

• Gave 2 talks on the Sunwheel to teachers and the public

• 398 visitors attended 23 Sunwheel gatherings in 1998:
  • 169 visitors attended 9 sunrise/sunset gatherings on solstices and equinoxes
  • 230 K-12 students & teachers attended 14 daytime gatherings

The Year 1997

• PRELIMINARY SUNWHEEL BUILT!
  • 12 beautiful stones, 2'-4' high, placed at Sunwheel May 13, 1997

• Public solstice and equinox gatherings at Sunwheel begin at Summer Solstice

• Private fundraising begins (selling T-shirts and photos) for money for tall stones, spring 1997

• Campus Chronicle story "Ancient Methods for Modern Times" appeared July 11, 1997

• K-12 teachers and students start attending Sunwheel for Astronomy lessons, fall 1997

• NASA grant of $6,000 awarded to support enlargement of the Sunwheel, Nov. 1997

• Boston Globe story "U.Mass. Prof. Proves Time Doesn't Stand Still" appeared Nov. 21, 1997

• Greenfield Recorder story "A Sunwheel Rises at U.Mass." appeared on Dec. 3, 1997

• Gave 2 talks on the Sunwheel to teachers and the public.

• 210 visitors attended 10 Sunwheel gatherings in 1997:
  • 30 visitors attended 3 sunrise/sunset gatherings on solstices and equinoxes
  • 180 K-12 students & teachers attended 7 daytime gatherings

The Year 1996

• Healey Endowment Grant of U.Mass. awarded as start-up funding for Sunwheel, June 1996

• Sunday Republican story "Astronomy Professor to Develop Sunwheel" appeared Oct. 6, 1996

• Gave 2 talks on Sunwheel to teachers and public

The Year 1995

• Faculty Senate Committee for Physical Planning unanimously approved building of Sunwheel on campus, Oct. 17, 1995

• Gave 2 talks on Sunwheel to teachers and public