Astrophysicist
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My undergraduate research with Drs. Michael Smutko and Grace Wolf-Chase centered on high-mass star formation in the Milky Way Galaxy. I optimized data reduction techniques to increase efficiency 40-fold, processing years of data in several weeks and revealing previously unrecognized sources of H2 emission from Mol160. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Physics, I worked with Dr. Vicky Kalogera, Director of Northwestern University Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). Our work involved investigating core boundary definitions for He-progenitor models on Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA).
In the fall of 2015 I began pursuing a PhD in Astrophysics. I pursued a broad range of research interests, spanning from transient detection in the outer solar system to the detection of isolated black holes in our galaxy. I am the sole author of the zort and fringez software packages that analyze and clean optical images for scientific discovery, and am a major contributor to the PopSyCLE microlensing simulation software package. Published works include calculating photometric transformations for the Zwicky Transient Facility filter system, calculating the first estimate for the microlensing yield of the Zwicky Transient Facility, and removing atmospheric fringes from optical images using principal component analysis. I enjoyed working with large image datasets from surveys such as the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), the Dark Energy Survey (DES), and the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF). In spring of 2021, I graduated after completing my thesis: Scalable Methods for Detecting Microlensing Black Holes with the Zwicky Transient Facility. Earning a PhD in Astrophysics required learning vast amounts of knowledge on our current understanding of the cosmos, as well as developing a range of sophisticated statistical and computational methods for extracting small signals from noisy massive datasets. What tied all of my work together is an interest in leveraging sophisticated computational techniques and statistical analysis to solve challenging problems at scale. View My Resume | View My Research |
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Physics Teacher
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Between graduating from Northwestern University in 2011 and leaving Chicago in 2015, I tutored high school, undergraduate, and post-baccalaureate students in physics and astronomy. My teaching style is greatly informed by my time spent as an actor, where I learned that communication is a skill one develops and hones with practice. My time has also been spent working to develop physics and robotics programs for middle and high school students in Evanston, IL (Northwestern University Center for Talent Development) and Oak Park, IL (Oak Park Education Foundation). Using all facets of STEM curriculum, I worked with students to analytically, strategically and cooperatively design, engineer, build, program, test and operate competition robots. Throughout my time at University of California: Berkeley, I have continued focusing on developing and sharing my expertise in teaching. I have taught the department's graduate student pedagogy course for three years where I instruct my peers on how to be empathetic educators to their own students. For four years I served as Mentor Master of the Astrophysics graduate students, facilitating the mentorship of over two dozen students and guiding three mentees of my own through their preliminary exams. I am also proud to have expanded research opportunities for underrepresented women by advising two female undergraduates and one female junior researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. |
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My love for science began many years ago. My first visit to the Hayden Planetarium in New York City for my 10th birthday (now the Rose Center for Earth and Space) ignited a passion for the wonder of the cosmos. Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Neil deGrasse Tyson and others have illuminated for me science's power to allow us access to nature's mysteries. Many people find science to be intimidating and something that is done by distant people pursuing abstract goals. I am committed to following in the footsteps of these great science communicators and showcasing the wonders of science to the general public. |
Actor
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Theatre attempts to replicate and explore the complexity of the human experience. I use acting as a way to gain a more fundamental understanding of social communication and personal connection. Science and art have both evolved as elements of our culture to address different issues, although often they start from the same questions. The scientist and artist both seek to better understand our common experiences and provide insight into the way things are. My passion for understanding drives me to pursue both science and art.
Over my four years living in Chicago I performed in nine shows, acted in five films, assistant directed three productions, and taken over a dozen classes in acting for the stage, film, improv and Meisner technique. Chicago's theatre community is a vibrant collection of collaborators set on creating visceral art in every corner of the city. I have a particular passion for Shakespeare and have recently performed in Julius Caesar (Decius Brutus), Taming of the Shrew (Lucentio) and The Tempest (Ferdinand). |
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Acting requires trust. One very potent environment for trust to grow is an ensemble. In 2012, along with several other theatre artists, I founded The Poor Theatre as a way to build such an ensemble. We strove to explore those parts of the human experience often overlooked. We worked to give voice to stories that often go unheard. My contributions to the company were both as a member of the acting ensemble and the Managing Director, before I left the company in 2015.
Theatrical Resume |
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Media
Is There a Giant Planet Lurking Beyond Pluto?
IEEE Spectrum - October 2018
Learn more about our technique to find Planet Nine.
Is the Phantom Planet Real?
Air & Space - June 2017
Learn more about the mysterious Hunt for Planet Nine.
IEEE Spectrum - October 2018
Learn more about our technique to find Planet Nine.
Is the Phantom Planet Real?
Air & Space - June 2017
Learn more about the mysterious Hunt for Planet Nine.
Review of Good Thing by The Poor Theatre
Dueling Critics - November 2013
Hear about my performance as Bobby in Good Thing.
