Curriculum Vita

Research Interests

  • Hot jupiters
  • Tidal evolution of planetary systems
  • Computational modelling

Publications

Awards

2008 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention

Presentations

"LMC X-1: Black Hole Wind Accretion++", AAS 217th Meeting, Jan. 2011 in Seattle, Washington

Education

  • 2006: S.B., Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • 2008 - present: Graduate division, Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz

Research Experience

Astrophysics

  • June 2010 - Present, University of California, Santa Cruz
    Creating a modern, C++ Henyey code to model (among other things) hot jupiters. Coupling this new code to existing N-body simulators to examine the tidally-driven orbital evolution of extrasolar planetary systems.
  • Dec. 2007 - June 2011, University of California, Santa Cruz
    Analyzed RXTE x-ray spectra from black hole binaries LMC X-1, LMC X-3, and Cygnus X-1, to pinpoint unique x-ray signatures of wind accretion, with Prof. David M. Smith.
  • Jan.-Dec. 2004, MIT Center for Space Research
    Analyzed Chandra x-ray observations of microquasar black hole candidate SS433, and the jets of active galactic nucleaus NGC-4945 with Dr. Herman Marshall.
  • Summer 2003, MIT Haystack Radio Observatory
    National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates. Work on the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) performance simulator included incorporating the effects of non-linear ionospheric delays into the simulator code, and ranking candidate sites' performance.

Condensed Matter

  • June - Sept. 2007, University of California, Santa Cruz, Carter Group
    Measured quantum efficiencies, characteristic degradation times, and the effects of annealing on the electroluminescent properties of ZnS:Cu and ZnS:Cu,Mn.
  • Jan. 2005 - Jan. 2006, MIT Hudson Group
    Assembled portions of a scannin tunneling microscope (STM) used for spin-detection in magnetically doped semiconductors. Designed a self-regulating cooling system for a next-generation, cryogen-free STM.
  • Jan. - May 2003, MIT Ultracold Hydrogen Group
    Worked as a lab technician to aid the production of a next-generation apparatus used to create and measure properties of Bose-condensed hydrogen gas.

    • Teaching and Other Work Experience

    • Fall 2011, UC Santa Cruz
      TA for AY2 ("Overview of the Universe"), a general-ed level physics and astronomy course, led by Prof. Rebecca Bernstein.
    • Spring 2011, UC Santa Cruz
      TA for AY4 ("The Stars"), a general-ed level physics and astronomy course, led by Prof. Greg Laughlin.
    • Winter 2008, UC Santa Cruz
      TA for non-calculus-based freshman-level mechanics lab.
    • Fall 2007, UC Santa Cruz
      TA for calculus-based freshman-level mechanics lab.
    • March 2006 - May 2007, MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW)
      Served as Departmental Liaison for the Physics and Mathematics Departments. Worked with physics and math professors to publish their courses on OCW.
    • Spring 2006, Experimental Study Group (ESG) at MIT
      TA/Grader for freshman-level, calculus-based E\& M course.
    • Spring 2004, MIT ESG
      Created and taught a seminar on gender issues in academia.
    • Jan. 2003 - March 2006, MIT
      Undergraduate student researcher for several groups (see above).