Graduate Research Fellows 2025

I am a PhD candidate in Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona, where I study microbial life in volcanic environments as a model for potential life on Mars and other planetary bodies. My research combines fieldwork in extreme environments like Icelandic lava flows with molecular biology, DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics to understand how microbial communities colonize and persist in harsh conditions. By applying machine learning and statistical modeling, I aim to identify ecological and metabolic signatures that could inform life-detection strategies for future missions to Mars and beyond.

Before beginning my PhD, I earned a B.S. in Astrobiology from the Florida Institute of Technology. I’ve conducted fieldwork across a range of analog environments, including deserts, glaciers, and newly erupted lava flows, and have experience with remote sensing and microbial ecology. My work is also supported by the Department of Defense through the NDSEG Fellowship, where I explore potential biotechnology and national security applications related to microbial survival and dispersal in extreme environments.

During my Space Grant fellowship, I will explore how complexity in geologic systems (topography, geochemistry, and mineralogy) impact biosignature distribution in extreme environments. I am also passionate about science communication and outreach and look forward to working with the Space Imagery Center and Arizona Astrobiology Center to develop outreach activities that inspire the next generation of planetary scientists. Whether in the lab, the field, or the classroom, I’m driven by curiosity about life’s adaptability and the search for life elsewhere in the universe. 

I am a 3rd year graduate student in the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory advised by Dr. Dante Lauretta. My research focuses on the analysis of metal-sulfide minerals in samples returned from asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. The composition, structure, and distribution of sulfide minerals in these samples can provide important clues to understand the chemical and physical environment on the asteroid’s parent body, such as temperature, oxidation, and fluid activity, therefore providing valuable insight into conditions and processes operating in the early Solar System. I use a suite of instruments in the University of Arizona’s K-ALFAA facility to conduct a coordinated microanalysis procedure for sulfide characterization.   During my Space Grant Fellowship, I will continue this research, specifically working on structural analyses of sulfides, in addition to planning a Sample Return Mission Development Workshop aimed at K-12 students. During this workshop, students will learn about the process of developing a sample return mission like OSIRIS-REx, and work to design their own mission by completing background research, preparing a short mission proposal, and creating a sample return capsule using craft materials. I intend for this workshop to provide an opportunity to learn about space exploration and engage with the scientific process in a creative and accessible way, and plan to implement this workshop in collaboration with local Tucson schools by the end of the fellowship period. Outside of research, I enjoy reading, hiking, scrapbooking, exploring Tucson (especially cute coffee shops!), and spending time with my dog, Pluto!

I am a 6th year graduate student in the Department of Astronomy and 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 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. As a second year Space Grant Fellow, I will be partnering with DaNel Hogan, founder of braided STEM, to bring astronomy education into elementary and middle school classrooms through an interactive lesson, called "Discovering Black Holes". This lesson, designed as a first year Space Grant fellow, provides a fun, hands-on learning experience that teaches students about black holes of all types and sizes. 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. I look forward to continuing to teach young students about the mysteries and wonders of space!

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.

I am a third-year PhD student in the biomedical engineering department performing peripheral nerve regeneration research with Dr. Mario Romero-Ortega. The nerve regeneration team of the Regenerative Neurobiology and Neuroelectronics Laboratory investigates the mechanisms by which cells respond to electrical, chemical, and inflammatory cues. My research focuses on studying electrical stimulation and growth factor treatments to enhance nerve repair of long-gap nerve injuries and considers the biomaterial selection and engineering design of nerve conduits in pursuit of improved clinical solutions. 

As a NASA Space Grant fellow, I am excited to promote engineering careers and technology with audiences not familiar with biomedical engineering. I’ll be working with Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) to develop a biomedical engineering design experience for the Girls Who Code club. I will introduce students to 3D bioprinting, soft polymers, and simulation software that biomedical engineers use. My aim is to show that biomedical engineers integrate biology and technology to solve problems. I will also serve as a mentor as part of WISE’s other programs to demystify and humanize careers in science. I am looking forward to spending time mentoring and teaching future scientists and engineers and helping them carve out the future they imagine.

I am a third-year graduate student in Daniel Soh’s group. We work on using squeezed light for improved quantum sensing. Squeezed light is a type of laser state that enables us to make better measurements with less light. This is useful for applications that have limited signal or are restricted to low optical power like biological imaging and many space-relevant research areas like astronomical imaging, gravitational wave detection, and precision navigation and timing. 

In my first year, I created a workshop with the Circus Academy of Tucson to teach key physics concepts to students in an interactive format. Students learned conservation of angular momentum by spinning on a trapeze, kinematics by learning to juggle, and more. This year I will be bringing my circus physics curriculum to the Children’s Museum of Tucson to adapt the lesson to a classroom-friendly version.