Undergraduate Interns 2024

Hi! I am a third year PhD student in the School of Geography, Development and Environment. My research investigates the impact of recurrent flood events on internal displacement, expansion of precarious settlements, and the perpetuation of cycles of vulnerability. I employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating satellite data and lived experience narratives to uncover insights into flood dynamics and understand their socio-environmental impacts.

During my Space Grant Fellowship, I will explore the flood-induced perpetuating cycles of vulnerability experienced by communities within precarious settlements. I will analyze satellite data to examine flood events at both the country and local levels, gaining insights into the different scales of flood impacts. Driven by a passion for bridging research with practical applications, I seek collaborations with local stakeholders who can benefit from climate information related to flood risk. By fostering these partnerships, I aim to ensure my research findings have a tangible impact on addressing climate change challenges. I am excited about this fellowship opportunity and look forward to conducting more research. I aim to increase my involvement with local partners through this fellowship to help provide critical data to low-resourced communities.

Outside of research, I enjoy baking, watching live music, and soaking up the warm Tucson sun with my dog, cat, and two snakes.

I am a first-year master’s student in the department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, under the advisorship of Dr. Christopher Walker. I received my bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Arizona in May, and will be continuing my work researching spacecraft and instrument development for my NASA Space Grant Fellowship.

 I am currently the student director for CatSat, an orbiting satellite designed to probe variations in Earth’s ionosphere and to test an inflatable antenna technology. In addition to CatSat flight operations, I’ll be conducting orbital analysis and refining the design for LunaCat, a spacecraft designed to detect molecular water vapor from the lunar surface. Over multiple orbits, LunaCat could measure the global distribution of water on the Moon, assisting future missions to the lunar surface. My professor is also designing a terahertz chirp radar instrument meant to study ocean worlds by detecting biologic and complex organic molecules at low concentrations. I have a minor in astrobiology, and hope to use this knowledge, with my aerospace experience, to help develop this instrument. 

As I direct CatSat operations and share data the spacecraft receives, I plan to hold outreach events and create online modules focused on getting undergraduate students and K-12 students interested in space research and ongoing missions. The assembly, test, and launch operations of CatSat are a great way to get younger students interested in spacecraft construction and flight operations, and my outreach work aims to inspire students to pursue more STEM and space-oriented fields of study.

I am a 5th year graduate student in the Department of Astronomy at Steward Observatory working with Dr. Kevin Hainline and Dr. Stephanie Juneau on the relationship between supermassive black holes and their host galaxy. My research uses simulations and observations from the James Webb Space Telescope to probe how supermassive black holes influence the environment of their host galaxy by triggering or suppressing star formation. This can help answer important questions regarding how galaxies change with time, including how our own Milky Way came to be what it is today. For my Arizona Space Grant Project, I will be engaging with students at local K-12 schools in astronomy-related lessons and activities through Project ASTRO, a national program that aims to improve the science education of young students by linking professional and amateur astronomers with local schools. I believe that engaging in scientific dialogue with young people is one of the most important and impactful things that I can do as a scientist. At the end of the fellowship period, I will also be presenting a public talk sharing my research at Space Drafts at The Borderlands Brewing Company through Astronomy on Tap, a public talk series organized by graduate students at Steward Observatory.

I am a fourth-year graduate student in the physics department doing computational astrophysics research with Prof. Vasileios Paschalidis. I use computer simulations to model the structure of neutron stars and the light we observe from them. These stars are left over from supernova explosions, and they contain the densest matter and strongest magnetic fields in the universe. Studying them can help us understand many mysteries in fundamental physics and the history of our universe, as well as help us build new space technologies. In my first year of the space grant program, I restored and expanded outreach programs for U of A’s Physicists for Inclusion & Equity (PIE) student group while serving as its Outreach Coordinator. This year, I am developing a physics history card game for students of all ages to be distributed in local classrooms, and collaborating with my department to build interactive physics history displays for our building. I am excited to bring the scientists, ideas, and stories that have inspired myself and others to broader audiences!

I am a second year Ph.D. in Daniel Soh's group working to obtain and improve a squeezed light source to apply to quantum machine learning and quantum sensing. We will use this squeezed light source to demonstrate improved sensitivity in measurements for imaging and interferometric measurements. Demonstration of improved interferometric measurements by higher resolution quantum sensing has the ability to improve astronomical imaging, optical communication, and navigation. After interning with NASA Glenn’s Real Time Optical Receiver (RealTOR) and Goddard’s Quantum Engineering and Sensing Technology (QuEST), I’m looking forward to contributing to quantum optics research which will advance us towards deeper space exploration.

I’m most excited to improve my science communication skills and tailor my outreach to a younger audience. I received my bachelors in chemistry, not realizing “physicist” was a real career path. I hope students can see how much exciting research and opportunity exists in this field. 

I’m planning to organize a Newtonian Physics workshop with the Circus Academy of Tucson for middle and high school students. This event will introduce many of the key physics concepts students learn in introductory labs but with a more interactive spin as they swing on an aerial silk and learn about pendulum motion or get an introduction to kinematics while learning to juggle. My goal is to create an experience where students look forward to the next physics lesson!