I am a second-year Ph.D. student in the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory developing high-resolution spectroscopy instrumentation with Prof. Walt Harris. Alongside an incredible team, we are currently developing a sounding rocket payload called the Spatial Heterodyne Interferometric Molecular Cloud Observer (SHIMCO), which will launch into Earth’s upper atmosphere in mid-2027 to observe molecular hydrogen fluorescence in the ρ Ophiuchi and 𝜁 Ophiuchi cloud complexes. Using the high-resolution spectrograph onboard, we can directly measure the clouds’ (1) gas temperatures and (2) molecular hydrogen formation/destruction rates, which together inform us about the global evolutionary state of the clouds. I am also broadly interested in mission development, and take great pride in mentoring undergraduate students through research projects of their own.

Arizona’s juvenile recidivism rate currently stands at nearly 50% within 24 months of release. Although the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 guarantees all incarcerated youth access to education, STEM subjects are rarely included in curricula, and consequently, leave large swaths of students lacking career aspirations and feelings of purpose upon release. During my Space Grant Fellowship, I will create the Other Worlds program alongside graduate student Kayla Smith, which introduces an astrobiology-based curriculum aimed at engaging incarcerated youth across STEM disciplines, providing an exciting opportunity for students to explore the origins of life and the potential for life beyond Earth. By doing so, Other Worlds aims to help reduce recidivism for Pima County youth and provide students with tools needed to navigate the STEM education system upon release.