Maria Mutz
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. We have increasingly advanced telescopes to observe these stars, but we need equally advanced models if we want to discover everything that they can teach us. I am excited to increase my involvement in outreach through this fellowship so I can bring more of the joy and awe that astronomy and physics have brought me to the public. I also hope to broaden ideas about what being a scientist looks like.