Gardner is interested in how galaxies formed as small clumps of stars early in the history of the universe and evolved into the big, bright galaxies we see today. To see the very distant galaxies, long exposures with Hubble, Spitzer and large ground-based telescopes are needed. He has been involved with studies using the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS), projects that involve large teams of astronomers and push the observatories to their limits. JWST will reach beyond the capabilities of Hubble and Spitzer to find the formation of the first galaxies. Gardner enjoys music and is very involved in the community. Gardner plays the guitar, and together with his wife performs in a group called Transatlantic Crossing, playing folk music from both sides of the Atlantic, including England, Scotland, Ireland and the United States. He is also interested in education and serves as the Chair of the Greenbelt City’s Advisory Committee on Education (ACE).