I went to University of Maryland College Park for my undergraduate studies. On my way to getting bachelor's degrees in both astronomy and physics, I served as a teaching assistant for two semesters, I worked as an intern at Goddard Space Flight Center, and I wrote an honors thesis on tilting Uranus using nonlinear resonances. After a summer research experience for undergraduates (REU) in solar physics, I decided to attend graduate school to study our star, the Sun.
My research at Harvard University focused on the magnetic fields of the solar corona and how they affect the outflows from the Sun called the solar wind. While working on my Ph.D. dissertation, I was a teaching fellow for three semesters, focusing on teaching astronomy to non-science majors. I earned an A.M. (2013) and a Ph.D. (2016) in Astronomy and Astrophysics from Harvard. More information can be found on my website.
My favorite topics in astronomy are solar physics (of course), exoplanets (where we learn more and more each day about how rare or common our solar system is) and stellar evolution (for which I designed a board game that has been in tabletop games festivals)! I moved to Grand Rapids in 2016 to join the Physical Sciences Department at GRCC. In Fall 2019, I took on the role of Open Educational Resources coordinator.
I love GRCC because I enjoy sharing my passion for astronomy with others. The questions students ask in lectures and labs constantly keep me looking at the world in new ways. Astronomy and Physics allow us to develop critical thinking skills while learning about the world--and universe--around us!
