ExoExplorers

Meet the ExoExplorers

2024 ExoExplorers

Zahra Ahmed (she/her)

Research Area: developing data simulation tools and analysis algorithms for exoplanet detection and characterization using direct imaging

Affiliation: Stanford University

Bio: I am a PhD student and NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University where my work is focused on developing data simulation tools and analysis algorithms for exoplanet detection and characterization using direct imaging. Prior to my graduate studies, I received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 2018 and subsequently worked as a Propulsion Engineer at Boeing. My engineering background has given me a strong foundation in applied mathematics and software development which I am eager to apply to exciting problems in exoplanet direct imaging. I am deeply passionate about creating inclusive environments to support diverse communities in STEM, which I do through my work in Stanford’s Graduate Society of Women Engineers, Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics and several student advisory committees. Outside of research, I am an avid reader and dessert consumer as well as an amateur ceramicist!

Lili Alderson (she/her)

Research Area: exoplanet atmospheres using transmission spectroscopy with space-based telescopes, from rocky super-Earths to inflated gas giants

Affiliation: University of Bristol

Bio: I am a final year PhD student at the University of Bristol. I obtained my MPhys in Astrophysics from the University of Southampton, spending a year in research at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian where I first began exploring exoplanets. Currently, my research focuses on studying exoplanet atmospheres using transmission spectroscopy with space-based telescopes, from rocky super-Earths to inflated gas giants. I’m particularly interested in understanding how telescope systematics and detector effects are impacting our observations. Beyond research, I am heavily involved in the Astrobites collaboration and am passionate about communicating research to make it as entertaining and accessible as possible.

Galen Bergsten (they/them)

Research area: exoplanet demographics

Affiliation: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory - University of Arizona

Bio: I am a PhD candidate at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab. My research in exoplanet demographics uses large-scale survey datasets to study thousands of planets. With such a wealth and diversity of data, I work to reveal and characterize population-level trends to better understand the formation and evolution of planetary systems. I have a particular focus on Earth-sized habitable planets, and have used data from the Kepler mission to estimate the frequency of these planets around M dwarfs and Sun-like stars. I’m interested in the combination of insights from multiple surveys to expand our understanding of planetary systems, and in the application of demographic results to aid the ongoing search for life. I’m also involved in a range of efforts to improve the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility of astronomy, both in academia and at large. Initiatives I lead are often focused on dismantling barriers to access for astronomers with disabilities, and implementing/improving mechanisms that support disabled and genderqueer scientists. I spend my free time visiting botanical gardens, reading manga, and playing indie games!

Michaela Leung (she/her)

Research Areas: analysis of novel biosignature candidates

Affiliation: University of California - Riverside

Bio: I am a PhD Candidate at UC Riverside where I work on analysis of novel biosignature candidates. I primarily use photochemical and spectral models but I am also interested in fundamental inputs from spectroscopy and biological field measurements. In addition to my work on biosignatures, I also apply the same models to a variety of abiotic planetary conditions to better understand and support future characterization of terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres. In my free time, I enjoy knitting, sewing, baking, and playing with my cats.

Garrett Levine (he/him)

Research Area: contextualizing the solar system among its peers

Affiliation: Yale

Bio: I am a Ph.D. candidate at Yale, working with Prof. Greg Laughlin on topics in planetary science and astrophysics. My research is centered around contextualizing the solar system among its peers. Towards this goal, I am studying exoplanet atmospheric escape with multi-wavelength data to understand the causes and effects of these outflows. I have also conducted research on interstellar objects and fast-moving near-Earth objects (NEOs). My focus has been on understanding observational selection effects and debiasing the shape distribution of NEOs, providing insights into collisional physics and tidal disruption processes. I completed my undergraduate studies at Caltech, majoring in physics and planetary science. Beyond my astronomy research, I am interested in developing best-practices for academic conference management and served as the organizing committee chair for the 2023 Emerging Researchers in Exoplanetary Science symposium at Yale. Outside of my research, I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and biking.

James Mang

Research area: physical and chemical processes present in the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and temperate giant planets

Affiliation: University of Texas at Austin

Bio: As a third-year Astronomy graduate student and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, my interest revolves around studying the complexities of exoplanet atmospheres. My work focuses on studying the physical and chemical processes present in the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and temperate giant planets using 1-D atmospheric models. Forward models are crucial tools to characterize substellar atmospheres, especially in the era of JWST where we have the first opportunity to study RV-detected Jupiter- and Saturn-analogs, as well as cold brown dwarfs at remarkably high resolutions. Before joining the astronomy department at UT Austin, I received my B.A. in Astronomy and B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. Beyond academics, I'm passionate about science outreach—organizing Astronomy on Tap and mentoring undergrads. I'm a hiking enthusiast on a quest to visit every national park in North America. I also love watching and playing almost every sport but as a proud Canadian, hockey holds a special place in my heart.

Fuda Nguyen (he/they)

Research Area: exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres

Affiliation: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory - University of Arizona

Bio: I am a second-year graduate student at LPL, University of Arizona, working with Prof. Daniel Apai on exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres. I'm originally from Việt Nam and I did my bachelor at Vietnam National University. Before graduate school, I was a post-bacc at the SOFIA Science Center, NASA Ames, and I also worked briefly as a data scientist in Việt Nam. My current research is on spectrophotometric monitoring of brown dwarfs with TESS to understand their atmospheric circulation. Certain brown dwarfs are highly variable and periodically "blink" in brightness, both in the short-period and long-period and their variability can help unravel latitude-dependent winds & vortices, essentially revealing 3D information from 1D data. In the future I am expanding my work to space-based telescopes such as JWST and PANDORA. In my free time I can be usually be found riding bikes, reading speculative fiction, and writing poetry.

Alex Polanski (he/him)

Research Area: the use of high-resolution spectroscopy and the multiple avenues to study exoplanets that this instrumentation provides

Affiliation: University of Kansas

Bio: Hello! I am a 5th-year exoplaneteer at the University of Kansas. My work spans a variety of topics but has been defined by the use of high-resolution spectroscopy and the multiple avenues to study exoplanets that this instrumentation provides. I primarily work with radial velocity data to measure one of the most fundamental planet properties: mass. I am also interested in radial velocity survey design and am involved in several new RV surveys that will help answer key questions about exoplanet system architecture. Alongside my research, I am an avid science communicator and wholeheartedly believe that the universe should be accessible to anyone. Outside the office, I’m occupied with making the perfect cup of coffee, spending time with my cat Atlas, and rock climbing - yes, even in Kansas!

Maria Vincent (she/her)

Research area: adaptive optics and high-contrast imaging science and instrumentation with ground-based telescopes

Affiliation: University of Hawaii at Manoa

Bio: I am a third year PhD candidate at the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa. My research concentrates on adaptive optics and high-contrast imaging science and instrumentation with ground-based telescopes. Driven by a fascination with planet formation and the intricate processes shaping our Solar System, a part of my thesis involves the direct imaging of circumstellar disks. I utilize the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics suite to observe and study morphological features of protoplanetary disks in near-infrared wavelengths to understand disk structure and processes governing planet formation. On the instrumentation side, I am working on implementing a speckle suppression algorithm for exoplanet imaging at Keck/NIRC2. I will also be designing and constructing an optical testbed for a new deformable mirror, as part of the upcoming High-order Advanced Keck Adaptive Optics upgrade. Beyond research, I am actively involved in public outreach and regularly give talks in schools worldwide on different astronomy topics. I am from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and graduated magna cum laude with the highest departmental honors in Geophysics and Astrophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Outside of astronomy, my interests include blogging, mysteries, historical and science fiction literature and cinemedia, photography, hiking, and travel.

Daniel Yahalomi (he/him)

Research Area: the intersection of exoplanet astronomy and data science, primarily in the data-limited regime

Affiliation: Columbia University

Bio: I'm a 4th year PhD student and LSSTC Data Science Fellow at Columbia University. I work at the intersection of exoplanet astronomy and data science, primarily in the data-limited regime. A common theme in my work has been fusing dynamical constraints from varied observational techniques in order to study extrasolar planets, particularly in multi-planet systems, with a focus on planetary dynamics and architectures. I received my bachelor’s from MIT in Physics with a Concentration in Astronomy and Minors in Computer Science and Comparative Media Studies. I then spent two years working on the TESS Science Team at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. I am passionate about mentoring young scientists. From 2018-2023, I volunteered in various roles as a part of the Harvard Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP), including twice serving as a project mentor and as Co-Director from 2021-2023. I am currently working on creating a similar high school research program at Columbia, with an emphasis on providing research opportunities and mentorship to students from typically underserved communities. Outside of astronomy, I enjoy hiking and backpacking, exploring new places, sports, and watching movies. For more information, please visit my website (danielyahalomi.com).

2023 ExoExplorers

Ellis Bogat

Research Area: characterize exoplanets with high-contrast imaging

Affiliation: University of Maryland

Bio: I am a second year PhD student at the University of Maryland, using JWST to discover and characterize exoplanets with high-contrast imaging. After receiving my Bachelor of Science in physics and astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin in 2017, I spent three years at NASA Headquarters developing space policy and research strategies to prepare for the human exploration of Mars, before transitioning to work in exoplanet direct-imaging at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. I’m also passionate about science communication and visualization, and am currently working on a series of astronomy info-comics titled “This Week in Astronomy!” Outside of science, I spend my time gardening, baking, and collecting National Park trails.

Clarissa Do O

Research Area: exoplanet direct imaging and instrumentation

Affiliation: UC San Diego

Bio: I am a third year Physics Ph.D. student and NSF Fellow at UC San Diego. I am originally from Brazil, and received my B.S. in Physics from UC Santa Barbara. My research interest is in exoplanet direct imaging and instrumentation. Specifically, I am interested in developing technologies that will allow us to better understand and characterize exoplanet formation and orbital architectures. I am also excited about science outreach and mentoring - which I do as a member of the Astrobites collaboration, as a coordinator of the UCSD Planetarium Shows and as part of the UCSD Cohort Mentoring Program. Outside of Astronomy, I enjoy ice skating, making coffee and learning new languages. For more information, please visit my website (clarissardoo.github.io).

Alison Duck

Research Area: quantifying the systematic errors present in transiting exoplanets and their host stars

Affiliation: The Ohio State University

Bio: I am a 4th year PhD candidate in the astronomy department at The Ohio State University working with Prof. Scott Gaudi. I am from Maryland's rural and remote Eastern Shore and completed my bachelor's degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. My research focuses on quantifying the systematic errors present in transiting exoplanets and their host stars. I am passionate about mentorship and am involved with the Polaris mentorship program at OSU. Outside of astronomy I enjoy knitting, mosh pits, and rock climbing.

Junellie Gonzalez Quiles (she/her/ella)

Research area: Modeling outgassing to study the evolution of the atmospheric composition of exoplanets

Affiliation: Johns Hopkins University

Bio: I am a PhD Student and NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and I moved to Maryland to pursue my Bachelor’s degree in Astronomy with a minor in Planetary Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. Before starting my PhD, I was a post-baccalaureate researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. My current research focuses on modeling geochemical cycles and outgassing on exoplanets to help us understand the evolution of the atmospheric composition and its effect on planetary climate. I am deeply passionate about outreach, science communication and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, so I dedicate part of my time to contribute to these. Outside of work, I love to knit, embroider, and do other arts and crafts. I also play the trombone and have been playing for over 15 years!

Armaan Goyal

Research Area: Architectures of multiple-planet systems

Affiliation: Indiana University

Bio: Hi there! I am a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University, where I work with Professor Songhu Wang on statistical investigation of the role of orbital resonances in the evolution of multiple-planet systems. Before arriving at IU, I received my B.S. in Astrophysics from the University of Chicago and spent some time performing post-baccalaureate research at Northwestern University. My greatest passions lie at the front of a classroom, and there’s nothing I love more than promoting both access and excitement within STEM education, most specifically at the secondary and community college levels. Outside of astronomy, I love Star Wars, running, and all things basketball!

Michelle Kunimoto (she/they)

Research area: Exoplanet detection, characterization, and demographics

Affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bio: I am a postdoctoral associate at MIT working on NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. I received my PhD at the University of British Columbia, for which I developed an independent planet search and vetting pipeline for Kepler data and derived exoplanet occurrence rates including the abundance of potentially habitable planets around Sun-like stars. As a postdoc, my research is focused on finding and characterizing exoplanets with TESS. Through my ongoing TESS Faint Star Search, I have uncovered over 2500 new planet candidates so far. I am particularly interested in improving techniques for estimating occurrence rates to maximize what we can learn from exoplanet demographics, such as by combining constraints from multiple types of surveys and exoplanet detection methods in a joint analysis. I also lead MIT's Quick-Look Pipeline team, which is dedicated to extracting light curves and searching for exoplanets with TESS.

Jack Lubin

Research Area: radial velocity, removing stellar activity induced signals

Affiliation: UC Irvine

Bio: I am a PhD candidate at UC Irvine where I study exoplanets primarily through the Radial Velocity detection method. In particular, I am fascinated by the problem of stellar activity induced signals, which can mask true planetary signals causing false negatives, or worse masquerade as planetary signals causing false positives. I work on the problem of stellar activity from an analysis technique approach, building new software to help us disentangle the signals in our data sets. Beyond research, I am a co-leader of UCI’s Physics and Astronomy Community Excellence (PACE) program, a student led initiative that aims to paint a more holistic picture of success in grad school and strengthen our community across cohorts through managing a peer-mentoring network as well as a workshop series for our department’s new grad students each year. When outside the office, I enjoy hitting golf balls on the driving range and reading (and trying to write!) sci-fi short stories.

Evelyn Macdonald

Research area: 3D climate simulations of temperate rocky exoplanets

Affiliation: University of Toronto

Bio: I am a PhD candidate in physics at the University of Toronto. I use the general circulation model ExoPlaSim to systematically explore the parameter space of temperate, tidally locked rocky planets to establish trends and isolate climate regimes. I create synthetic transit spectra from these simulations to show how different climate regimes might appear in exoplanet data. This work helps us understand the range of possible climate states a given planet could have and identify sources of uncertainty that will need to be accounted for when interpreting transit spectra. Before coming to the University of Toronto, I did my undergraduate degree in physics at McGill University, where I constructed an empirical infrared transit spectrum of Earth using satellite data to represent Earth as a transiting exoplanet.

Sean McCloat

Research Areas: Atmospheric transmission spectroscopy; planet formation by pebble accretion; science mission management

Affiliation: University of North Dakota

Bio: I am a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Sciences (Space Studies) at the University of North Dakota, pioneering the department’s exoplanet research. I originally hail from Long Island, New York and completed my bachelor’s degree at SUNY Geneseo. I am a passionate science educator having developed the astronomy undergraduate labs at Geneseo, drafted and delivered planetarium shows at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, and regularly teach the Space Studies department’s multidisciplinary introductory course. I work with North Dakota Space Grant Consortium part time as a STEM Ambassador where I can share my enthusiasm for exoplanets, astrobiology, and science communication to students of all ages. On the side, I enjoy mythology, folk music, and science fiction.

Anjali Piette

Research Area: modeling the atmospheres of exoplanets across the mass range

Affiliation: Carnegie Earth & Planets Laboratory

Bio: I am a Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Carnegie Earth & Planets Laboratory, Washington DC. I completed my Ph.D. in Astronomy at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge (UK), working with Prof. Nikku Madhusudhan. Prior to graduate school, I did my undergraduate and masters degrees in Natural Sciences and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge. My research focuses on modeling the atmospheres of exoplanets across the mass range, from brown dwarfs to Jupiter-mass planets, mini-Neptunes and rocky worlds. I use a combination of self-consistent forward models and atmospheric retrievals to understand and infer the physical and chemical processes at play in these atmospheres, including atmosphere-interior interactions. I use these modeling techniques to interpret atmospheric observations, including recent JWST observations. I am excited by the exquisite new constraints which JWST will allow, from multidimensional processes in hot Jupiters to surface and interior conditions in low-mass exoplanets.

Pa Chia Thao

Area of research: detection and characterization of young (<1 Gyr) exoplanets using ground and space-based telescopes

Affiliation: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Bio: I am a graduate student in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at UNC Chapel Hill. My work focuses on probing the atmosphere of young exoplanets through transmission spectroscopy. The greater goal is to study how planetary atmospheres change with time by comparing transmission spectra of young planets to their older counterparts. In my free time, I enjoy visiting national parks and going on hikes with my two dogs.

Isabella Trierweiler

Area of research: Studying exoplanet compositions using polluted white dwarfs

Affiliation: University of California Los Angeles

Bio: I am a PhD candidate at UCLA where I study the bulk compositions of exoplanets using polluted white dwarf stars. My research involves combining simulations with observed data to reconstruct what these former exoplanet systems may have looked like. I am also excited about outreach and science communication, and am an author for Astrobites. In my free time I loves to knit, garden, and bake!

2022 ExoExplorers

Munazza Alam (she/her)

Research Area: I work on the detection and characterization of exoplanet atmospheres using Hubble and large ground-based telescopes. I am also interested in tracing giant planet origins via stellar abundance analyses.

Affiliation: Carnegie Earth & Planets Laboratory

Bio: I am a postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Earth & Planets Laboratory in Washington DC. I completed my Bachelors degree in physics & astronomy from CUNY Hunter College in 2016, and earned my PhD in astronomy & astrophysics from Harvard University in 2021. My work focuses on detecting and characterizing exoplanet atmospheres using observations from space-based and large ground-based telescopes. I am also interested in tracing giant planet origins via stellar abundance analyses. In my free time, I enjoy sketching, painting, and doing oil pastels.

Aida Behmard (she/her/hers)

Research Area: The chemical and dynamical evolution of planetary systems and their host stars

Affiliation: California Institute of Technology

Bio: I am a Planetary Science PhD student at Caltech, where I use observational and theoretical tools to investigate the chemistry of star and planet formation, exoplanet demographics, and galactic archaeology. I am also passionate about science outreach, and volunteer as a K-2nd grade science teacher at underserved Pasadena, CA public schools. When I'm not doing science, I like to hang out with my cat, Interstellar Medium ("Izzy" for short).

Kiersten Boley (she/her)

Research Area: Planet occurrence with respect to metallicity and Mass-Radius Relationships

Affiliation: The Ohio State University

Bio: Hello! I am a Ph.D. Candidate and NSF Graduate Research Fellow at The Ohio State University where my research focuses on the impacts of elemental abundances on planet formation and evolution. I grew up in a rural part of northwest Georgia. I always thought space was fascinating and that the night sky was beautiful, but I was really more into playing with dirt and problem solving. So, it only seems fitting that I would become an exoplaneteer, encapsulating my true loves science and dirt. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work is something than I am also extremely passionate about, so a lot of my time is spent giving back to the community. When I’m not doing research or DEI work, I love scuba diving, painting, and playing with my pup!

Aarynn Carter (he/him)

Research Area: Detection and Characterisation of Exoplanets with JWST

Affiliation: University of California, Santa Cruz

Bio: I am a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I was born in the United Kingdom and prior to relocating to the US I completed an MPhys at the University of Warwick, and a PhD in Physics at the University of Exeter. At present I am heavily involved with preparatory work for the exoplanet focused JWST Early Release Science programs. I am also excited for a range of JWST Cycle 1 GO programs I am involved with to detect and/or characterise exoplanets through direct imaging.

Quadry Chance (he/him)

Research Area: investigating exoplanet system architectures and the underlying formation pathways using a combination of simulations and observational data

Affiliation: University of Florida

Matt Clement (he/him)

Research Area: My research leverages orbital dynamics, in tandem with numerical simulations to decipher the formation and evolution of planetary systems.

Affiliation: Carnegie Institution for Science's Earth and Planets Laboratory

Bio: I am an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science's Earth and Planets Laboratory (EPL) in Washington D.C. (formerly Carnegie DTM). I attended graduate school at the University of Oklahoma, where I worked with professor Nate Kaib. During graduate school I also spent a semester Bordeaux, France working with CNRS scientist Sean Raymond as part of the Chateaubriand Fellowship program. My research interests include the formation and dynamical evolution of planetary systems. In particular, I utilize N-body simulations to study the early evolution of the solar system. While much of my past research has been focused on the formation of the solar system’s terrestrial planets, I have recently become interested in habitability around low-mass stars. Prior to graduate school, I spent 5 years on active duty in the Navy, where I was stationed on the fast attack submarine USS TOPEKA (SSN-754). I first served as the ship's Chemistry and Radiological Controls Officer, and later as the Assistant Engineer. I was also a qualified Navy Scuba Diver. A highlight of this experience was surfacing through the polar ice and walking around at the North Pole during an arctic deployment.

Leonardo dos Santos (he/him)

Research Area: Exoplanet atmospheres and evolution

Affiliation: Space Telescope Science Institute

Bio: I started my astronomical career back in my hometown in Brazil, and have since lived, studied, and worked in Netherlands, Switzerland, and the US. I fell in love with exoplanet science when I was working on radial velocities of binary stars, and have gradually moved to peering into exoplanet atmospheres with space- and ground-based spectrographs. More recently I have also dipped my toes in theoretical modeling. I am mostly interested in understanding the history of atmospheric escape and composition in hot or young planets, and ultimately its ties to habitability.

Alison Farrish (she/her)

Research Area: Simulation of exoplanet host star magnetic activity

Affiliation: Goddard Space Flight Center

Bio: I am a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) fellow at Goddard Space Flight Center working in the Space Weather Lab. My research focuses on the application of solar and stellar physics to the space weather of exoplanet systems. In particular I work on modeling the magnetic activity and coronal emission of cool stars as inputs to models of planetary atmospheric and magnetospheric processes. In May 2021, I received my Ph.D. in physics and astronomy from Rice University in Houston, TX. Prior to that, I earned a Bachelor’s in astronomy from Cornell University.

Briley Lewis (she/her)

Research Area: Applying high-contrast imaging techniques to various problems in (exo-)planetary science, from debris disks to solar system objects and beyond

Affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles

Bio: Briley is a Ph.D. Candidate and NSF Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Astronomy & Astrophysics. Her research focuses on how we can apply techniques from high-contrast imaging to a variety of (exo-)planetary science topics, such as debris disks, solar system objects, and characterizing giant exoplanets. She is excited about science communication — particularly science writing — and is a member of the Astrobites collaboration, a coordinator for the UCLA Planetarium, and an organizer for ComSciCon-Los Angeles. Briley is also the first in her family to pursue a doctorate, and has a passion for teaching, with an emphasis on evidence-based pedagogy and ways to create an inclusive and equitable classroom. You can almost always find her hanging out with her sweet rescue dog, Rocky. Follow her on Twitter @briles_34 or visit her website www.briley-lewis.com.

Romy Rodriguez Martinez (she/her)

Research Area: Characterization of small, potentially terrestrial planets

Affiliation: The Ohio State University

Bio: Hello! I am a PhD candidate at The Ohio State University where I work with Professor Scott Gaudi. I was born in Cuba and raised in Puerto Rico, where I received a B.Sc. and master’s degree in Physics at the University of Puerto Rico. My research revolves around the characterization of small, potentially rocky exoplanets and using precise stellar and planetary properties in combination with stellar chemical abundances to infer properties about the interior structure and composition of such planets. Besides astronomy, I enjoy learning languages, playing piano, and chess.

Julia V. Seidel (she/her)

Research Area: I work on characterizing the dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres using high resolution transmission spectra.

Affiliation: European Southern Observatory

Bio: I focus mainly on the characterization of highly irradiated atmospheres, more specifically on what we can learn about the atmospheric composition and winds from high resolution transmission spectra. To that end, I aim to resolve planetary spectral lines as clean as possible to then retrieve the movement of the particles in the atmosphere from the line shape. Understanding exoplanetary winds ultimately helps us to shed light on how atmospheres evolve under intense irradiation and are the only laboratory we have for the state of the solar system during the late stages of the Sun's life.

Eckhart Spalding

Research Area: I work on high-contrast instrumentation for the direct or interferometric imaging of exoplanets.

Affiliation: University of Notre Dame

Bio: I am a postdoc in Dr. Jeff Chilcote’s research lab at the University of Notre Dame, where I am working on an upgrade of the Gemini Planet Imager instrument for a new direct imaging survey. Originally I am from a small town in Illinois, where I received my B.S. from Illinois College. I went on to teach at a secondary school in a pastoral region of Kenya, and then pursued graduate studies at the University of Kentucky and the University of Arizona. At Arizona I focused on the use of an interferometric observing mode of the Large Binocular Telescope to probe for companions around a nearby star. In addition to flushing out the data to explore other worlds, I am interested in learning how to attract and retain in the field first-generation college students or students from small institutions; how best to involve hardware-inclined students in hands-on instrumentation early on in their training; and how to facilitate the translational benefits of experience from areas outside academia, such as industry or the armed forces.

2021 ExoExplorers

David Coria

Graduate student, University of Kansas

Research area: My research focuses on measuring elemental and isotopic abundances in a variety of known and potential exoplanet host stars.

Bio: Hi! I recently graduated as a Wildcat from Kansas State University back in May 2020 with a dual degree in Mathematics and Physics. Now, I’m a Jayhawk and first-year graduate student at the University of Kansas. I’ve always had an interest in exoplanetary science, because let’s be honest... who doesn’t think discovering and exploring new worlds is super cool? I was fortunate enough to earn a study abroad trip from the Hagan Scholarship Foundation back in 2019, and I took the opportunity to head to Sydney, Australia for a research practicum at the University of New South Wales with Dr. Chris Tinney and his group. Developing a quick data reduction app for the Veloce spectrograph, all while exploring the city, really reinforced the idea that exoplanetary science is exactly where I belong. I’m now on the road to a PhD in hopes of becoming an educator and lifelong exoplaneteer.

Rachel B. Fernandes

Graduate student, University of Arizona

Research Area: Detection, Characterization and Demographics of Exoplanets

Bio: I am a Ph.D. candidate at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory & the Department of Planetary Sciences at The University of Arizona where I work with Dr. Ilaria Pascucci and Dr. Gijs Mulders on the detection, characterization and demographics of exoplanetary systems using data from both ground- and space-based telescopes. My current research focuses on the detection and characterization of close-in, transiting young exoplanets with the Transiting Exoplanet Sky Satellite (TESS). I plan on comparing this population of young, close-in planets with that of Kepler's in order to better understand how these planets evolve with time.

Jules Fowler

Graduate student, UCSC

Research Area: High contrast imaging and adaptive optics, currently focusing on coronagraph design and predictive control.

Bio: Jules is a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where they are helping design and integrate a high contrast imaging testbed at the Lab for Adaptive Optics. Presently they are working on predictive control algorithms for adaptive optics and coronagraph design.

Amy Glazier

Graduate student, UNC Chapel Hill

Research Area: As an observational astronomer, I search for exoplanets and study how their host star systems affect their habitability.

Bio: Amy Glazier is a doctoral student in Physics & Astronomy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research revolves around understanding how stars affect their planets' habitability, using data from the all-sky gigapixel-scale Evryscopes built by Nicholas Law's group at UNC. She primarily focuses on the real-time impacts of stellar flares on planets orbiting M-dwarf stars. Amy earned her Bachelor of Arts in Physics at Austin College and her Associate of Science at Collin County Community College, both in her home state of Texas. She is a first-generation college graduate and the first in her family to pursue graduate education.

Eileen Gonzales

Postdoc, Cornell

Research Area: Eileen's research focuses in understanding the atmospheres and fundamental parameters of brown dwarf and directly-imaged exoplanets.

Bio: Dr. Eileen Gonzales is a 51 Pegasi b Fellow at Cornell University in the Department of Astronomy and the Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences. She uses observational and theoretical techniques to understand the atmospheres of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and directly-imaged exoplanets. Using atmospheric retrievals, her current work aims to understand cloud properties as well as key chemical processes shaping the formation and evolution of directly-imaged exoplanets and low-gravity brown dwarfs. She received her Ph.D. in Physics from the City University of New York Graduate Center (CUNY GC) where she worked in the Brown Dwarfs in New York City (BDNYC) research group. Her dissertation focused on characterizing substellar subdwarf atmospheres using distance-calibrated spectral energy distributions and retrievals. Dr. Gonzales is also one of the co-founders and a lead organizer of Black In Physics (blackinphysics.org) and #BlackInPhysics week on Twitter, an initiative dedicated to not only celebrating Black physicists and our contributions but also to reveal a more complete picture of what a physicist looks like.

Samson Johnson

Graduate student, Ohio State

Research Area: I am interested in exoplanet demographics and microlensing.

Bio: I am a graduate student at Ohio State University and I did my undergrad at University of Montana. I mainly work on the Nancy Grace Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey, which promises to teach us about planets widely separated from their host stars through the first space-based microlensing survey. I hope to generate excitement about the survey as it can teach us about a wide variety of planets in essentially unprobed areas of parameter space. These planets range from Earth-analogs to those unbound to any host stars. Finding these planets is vital in progressing our understanding of planet formation and could reveal previously undetectable populations of planets. Besides science, I do a lot of rock climbing and some cycling. I love to be in the mountains and outside as much as I can.

Caprice Phillips

Graduate student, Ohio State

Research Area: Detectability of biosignatures on super-Earths/sub-Neptunes with the James Webb Space Telescope

Bio: I am a PhD student at The Ohio State University working with Professor Ji Wang. I received my M.A in Astronomy from UT Austin and B.S. in Physics from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I was born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas, famous for its geothermal springs and historic bathhouses. When I'm not coding or working on research I enjoy reading, crafting, going out in nature, cooking, and trying my hand at new recipes. I also enjoy attending comic conventions to let out my inner nerd. I am passionate about social justice along with equity & inclusion work in astronomy and STEM in general.

Kaitlin Rasmussen

Postdoc, Univ of Michigan

Research Area: Characterization of Exoplanet Atmospheres

Bio: Dr. Kaitlin Rasmussen is a post-doctoral researcher at University of Michigan. She received her B. Sci in Astrophysics from Florida State University and her PhD in Physics from University of Notre Dame. Her background is in stellar and nuclear astrophysics, and her current work is in developing new techniques for the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres. Dr. Rasmussen is also the PI of the Search for Exoplanets Around Metal-Poor Stars with T(r)ESS (SEAMSTRESS), a survey which seeks to explore the beginnings of planet formation in the Universe.

Quang Tran

Graduate student, UT Austin

Research Area: I use precision radial velocities in the NIR to detect and characterize young planets.

Bio: I am a 3rd year graduate student at UT Austin. My primary research area is young exoplanet detection and characterization using precision radial velocities in the NIR. Through the ExoExoplorers program, I hope to learn how to better support underserved students in the exoplanet community (and beyond) through mentorship. I am excited to share my research expertise and learn from the diverse cohort of ExoExplorers and ExoGuides!

Jason Williams

Graduate student, USC/Carnegie

Research Area: Developing instrumentation to characterize exoplanets

Bio: I was born and raised in Queens, New York where I developed a love for Arizona Iced Tea, dollar pizzas and (unfortunately) the Knicks. In 2017, I switched coasts and began my PhD at USC where I've been in residence at Carnegie Observatories working with Nicholas Konidaris on infrared instrumentation to precisely detect exoplanet atmospheres. When I'm not thinking about instruments or exoplanets, you can find me playing video games with friends, pretending to exercise, or having hope for the Knicks.