Dr. Howell is a member of the Kepler Science Team and specializes in research on variable and binary stars, CCD detectors and instrumentation , and ultra-high precision photometry. He developed the practice of differential photometry using CCDs and has applied the technique to ground-based exo-planet transit detections obtaining, to date, the highest precision photometry yet achieved. Dr. Howell is involved in educational outreach programs, especially those involving multi-wavelength astronomy, using ground-based and space based telescopes. He serves on numerous review panels and was most recently a member of the National Academy of Sciences panel on NASA's Constellation system. Dr Howell works for the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, Arizona where he is currently the WIYN telescope scientist and is on-loan to NASA Headquarters to help establish the Kepler guest observer office at NASA / Ames research center.