Searching for the First Galaxies
  As some of the first known objects to exist in the Universe, Lyman alpha
emitting galaxies (LAEs) naturally draw a lot of interest. First discovered
over a decade ago, they have allowed us to probe the early Universe, as their
strong emission line compensates for their faint continuum light. While
initially thought to be indicative of the first galaxies forming in the
Universe, recent studies have shown them to be increasingly complex, as some
fraction appear evolved, and many LAEs appear to be dusty, which one would not
expect from primordial galaxies. Presently, much interest resides in
discovering not only the highest redshift galaxies to constrain theories of
reionization, but also pushing closer to home, as previous ground-based studies
have only found LAEs at z > 3 due to observational limitations. In this review
talk I will cover everything from the first theoretical predictions of LAEs, to
their future prospects for study, including the HETDEX survey here in Texas.
