Astronomy Colloquium

How galaxies form and evolve remains one of the cornerstone questionsin our understanding of the universe on grand scales.  While muchprogress has been made by studying galaxy populations out to highredshifts, there is also much to be learned from near-field cosmology — that is, investigating nearby galaxies in detail using observationsof resolved stars.  I will highlight some recent results from severalprojects that are providing new insights into the structure and formation history of the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds.  First, I will discusshow I am mapping the stellar halos of the Milky Way and the MagellanicClouds and thereby uncovering clues to their hierarchical buildup.  Second,I will summarize results from the APOGEE survey that, in combination withhigh-resolution simulations, are revealing the chemical structure, evolution and dynamical history of the Milky Way disk.  I will end with a discussionof the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and how, in the not too distant future,it will revolutionze the field of near-field cosmology.