Courses taught:
ASTR 111 - General Astronomy I
ASTR 112 - General Astronomy II
ASTR 220 - Introduction to Astrophysics
ASTR 310 - Observational Astronomy
ASTR 421 - Solar System Astronomy
ASTR 422 - Galactic Astronomy and Cosmology
PHSC 431 - Energy and the Environment
Research:
My scientific research interests are in astronomical origins 鈥� the formation and evolution
of the galaxies, stars, and planets in our universe. I obtained my B.A. in Physics
from Swarthmore College in 2011 where I also minored in Educational Studies. As an
undergraduate, I studied the orbital properties of pre-main sequence binary pairs
of stars. Before attending graduate school, I worked for a year as a research assistant
in Penn State鈥檚 Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics where I studied the orbits
of evolved hot subdwarf binary stars. I received my M.S. and Ph.D in Astronomy from
the University of Virginia in 2014 and 2018, respectively. My dissertation research
at UVa focused on star formation in nearby interacting dwarf galaxies using large
ground-based optical telescopes and space-based optical and infrared telescopes.
I have continued this work with students at 澳门老奇人论坛 through independent
studies and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships. The specific projects have
been driven by student interest, combining both archival and proprietary data to further
our understanding of the stars, gas, and dust in these merging systems. I've also
expanded my work to include radio studies of massive star binary pair formation using
radio data, again based on student research questions. I am open to exploring any
area of astronomy with our RU students 鈥� just stop by my office or send me an email
and we can get started!
In addition to teaching at Radford, I am involved in implementing inclusive science
education initiatives, developing a diverse and active astronomy research group, and
restoring the telescope at Selu Observatory.