Abstract: M dwarfs are the most numerous types of stars in the Galaxy, with 75%
of all stars expected to be of spectral class M, corresponding to
masses 7.5% - 64% that of our Sun. However, due to their low
luminosities, studying this population has been particularly
challenging, with many of their properties --- such as their ages,
distances, multiplicity --- remaining unconstrained. With numerous
on-going surveys searching for planets around these low-mass systems,
it is critical that the stars themselves be thoroughly catalogued and
characterized.
I will first highlight results from our stellar cartography projects
where we discovered new neighbors, measured their distances, and
catalogued the M dwarfs known to lie within 25 pc. I will then go on
to describe our efforts to identify and discover all stellar
companions --- over all separation regimes using a variety of
techniques --- around the nearby M dwarfs, thus revealing the
multiplicity-mass relation for the entire stellar spectrum. Finally, I
will highlight LTT 1445, the triple, mid-to-late M dwarf system at 7
parsecs that hosts a transiting rocky planet.