▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁Department ▁of ▁Computer ▁Science ▁as ▁an ▁instruct or ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁She ▁joined ▁the ▁Smith son ian ▁Ast ro phys ical ▁Observ atory ▁and ▁Ch andra ▁X - ray ▁Observ atory ▁as ▁Visual ization ▁Le ad ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ ▁Career ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Arc and ▁launched ▁From ▁Earth ▁to ▁the ▁Un iverse ▁with ▁UN ES CO , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁large ▁exhib itions ▁that ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁locations ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁She ▁is ▁Princi pal ▁Investig ator ▁of ▁the ▁A est het ics ▁and ▁Astronom y ▁image ▁response ▁project ▁at ▁the ▁Harvard – Smith son ian ▁Center ▁for ▁Ast ro physics . ▁The ▁project ▁launched ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁and ▁looks ▁at ▁variations ▁in ▁the ▁presentation ▁of ▁colour ▁and ▁scale ▁in ▁astronom ical ▁images . ▁They ▁look ▁at ▁how ▁people ▁respond ▁to ▁images , ▁and ▁the ▁mis con ception s ▁that ▁non - ex per ts ▁have ▁when ▁they ▁view ▁them . ▁The ▁project ▁began ▁when ▁Rand all , ▁Jeff rey , ▁and ▁Lisa ▁F . ▁Smith ▁realized ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁lot ▁ast ro phys ic ists ▁could ▁learn ▁from ▁art ▁about ▁how ▁to ▁present ▁results . ▁The ▁group ▁expl ored ▁the ▁public ▁per ception ▁of ▁astronom ical ▁pictures ▁using ▁a ▁survey ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁NASA ▁Astronom ical ▁Picture ▁of ▁the ▁Day ▁site , ▁gain ing ▁almost ▁ 1 0 , 0