I am interested in the complete “story” of exoplanets: how different kinds of planets form and evolve (possibly even evolving into something that can host life!), and how we can observe these processes.
This leads to my main interests in circumstellar disks (including our own Kuiper Belt) and infrared instrumentation (particularly high-contrast imaging) + polarimetry for exoplanet science. I am also interested in the intersection between exoplanets and solar system science, using what we know from our own solar system to understand distant systems (and vice versa).
This leads to my main interests in circumstellar disks (including our own Kuiper Belt) and infrared instrumentation (particularly high-contrast imaging) + polarimetry for exoplanet science. I am also interested in the intersection between exoplanets and solar system science, using what we know from our own solar system to understand distant systems (and vice versa).
Debris Disks
Debris disks are the remnants of colliding protoplanets, providing an opportunity for us to investigate the building blocks of planet formation and watch the processes of planet evolution in action. I've focused on looking at disks in polarized light to learn more about their compositions and dust grain properties using Gemini/GPI, Subaru SCExAO/CHARIS, NIRC2-Pol, and JWST. I'm currently creating GPU- enabled disk modeling tools with GRaTer-JAX to fit for more disk parameters than ever before and look at entire populations of debris disks, revealing trends in planet formation and evolution. I'm also particularly interested in creating a more complete sample of debris disks by searching for disks around small M-dwarf stars. Looking forward, I'm preparing for the Habitable Worlds Observatory by co-leading a new NASA Science Analysis Group to determine what circumstellar disk science will be possible with different designs of this future mission.
Debris disks are the remnants of colliding protoplanets, providing an opportunity for us to investigate the building blocks of planet formation and watch the processes of planet evolution in action. I've focused on looking at disks in polarized light to learn more about their compositions and dust grain properties using Gemini/GPI, Subaru SCExAO/CHARIS, NIRC2-Pol, and JWST. I'm currently creating GPU- enabled disk modeling tools with GRaTer-JAX to fit for more disk parameters than ever before and look at entire populations of debris disks, revealing trends in planet formation and evolution. I'm also particularly interested in creating a more complete sample of debris disks by searching for disks around small M-dwarf stars. Looking forward, I'm preparing for the Habitable Worlds Observatory by co-leading a new NASA Science Analysis Group to determine what circumstellar disk science will be possible with different designs of this future mission.
Instrumentation/Data Processing for High-Contrast Imaging and Polarimetry
Instrumentation and data processing techniques are what makes all the science we do even possible. I'm interested in improving our techniques to enable new science investigations, particularly with software for high-contrast imaging and polarimetry. I'm currently the Instrument Scientist for the Keck NIRC2 polarimetry upgrade, for which I'm leading commissioning, organizing our science verification observing campaign, and developing the data processing pipeline. We're currently in the commissioning phase for the new polarimetry mode after a successful install in August, with science verification starting soon in May 2026. I have also previously developed new algorithms for high-contrast imaging post-processing, and am currently working with an undergraduate student to update the polarimetric calibration for Subaru SCExAO/CHARIS. I am also a member of the GPI 2.0 Executive Committee; the upgraded GPI instrument is set to be delivered to Gemini North in the next year.
Instrumentation and data processing techniques are what makes all the science we do even possible. I'm interested in improving our techniques to enable new science investigations, particularly with software for high-contrast imaging and polarimetry. I'm currently the Instrument Scientist for the Keck NIRC2 polarimetry upgrade, for which I'm leading commissioning, organizing our science verification observing campaign, and developing the data processing pipeline. We're currently in the commissioning phase for the new polarimetry mode after a successful install in August, with science verification starting soon in May 2026. I have also previously developed new algorithms for high-contrast imaging post-processing, and am currently working with an undergraduate student to update the polarimetric calibration for Subaru SCExAO/CHARIS. I am also a member of the GPI 2.0 Executive Committee; the upgraded GPI instrument is set to be delivered to Gemini North in the next year.
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Astronomy Education Research
I'm also interested in astronomy education research — taking a scientific, critical perspective on our pedagogy and working to find the most effective teaching methods. I particularly focus on how we can bring reading and writing pedagogy into the astronomy/physics classroom, and how we can improve writing training for physicists and astronomers. |
Past Projects
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Informed Searches for Substellar Companions
Searching for planets with direct imaging has proven quite difficult, since the occurrence rates are somewhat low. Now, with information on stellar accelerations from Gaia and Hipparcos, we can start looking for substellar companions in a more targeted search. I've worked with collaborators at UCSB and UCSC on an observing campaign informed by the Hipparcos-Gaia Catalog of Accelerations (HGCA) using Keck NIRC2 and Subaru SCExAO/CHARIS looking for new substellar companions to characterize. |
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Astrobiology & SETI
I maintain an interest in the search for life, and participated in a radio SETI search as part of one of my graduate courses. I'm definitely excited for the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory, too! |
New Horizons: NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission
Starting as a part of STScI's Summer 2017 student program, I worked with data from the New Horizons mission to better understand nitrogen - the dominant component of Pluto's surface and atmosphere - and the factors that influence its transport across the surface, through an analysis of the LEISA infrared hyperspectral data and related composition maps, as well as volatile transport modeling. My initial presentation for the summer program can be viewed on STScI's archive.
Starting as a part of STScI's Summer 2017 student program, I worked with data from the New Horizons mission to better understand nitrogen - the dominant component of Pluto's surface and atmosphere - and the factors that influence its transport across the surface, through an analysis of the LEISA infrared hyperspectral data and related composition maps, as well as volatile transport modeling. My initial presentation for the summer program can be viewed on STScI's archive.
Project 1640: Toward Exploration of Other Worlds
Beginning as an REU student at the American Museum of Natural History in Summer 2016 under the supervision of Dr. Rebecca Oppenheimer, I was a part of Project 1640, a high contrast imaging instrument at Palomar Observatory in CA, used to conduct a survey of nearly 200 nearby stars to search for exoplanets and brown dwarfs. I have worked on various aspects of the survey, including selecting targets and staffing observing runs with the instrument, processing data, and spectral characterization.
Beginning as an REU student at the American Museum of Natural History in Summer 2016 under the supervision of Dr. Rebecca Oppenheimer, I was a part of Project 1640, a high contrast imaging instrument at Palomar Observatory in CA, used to conduct a survey of nearly 200 nearby stars to search for exoplanets and brown dwarfs. I have worked on various aspects of the survey, including selecting targets and staffing observing runs with the instrument, processing data, and spectral characterization.
A complete list of my publications can be found on Google Scholar or NASA ADS.
Photos courtesy of Gaia Collaboration, Gemini Planet Imager, NASA/Voyager, NASA/SWRI/New Horizons, Project 1640.