Hello! I am 32 years old and originally from the town of Dix Hills in Long Island, New York. My appreciation for the universe began in High School at age 14. After taking an Astronomy elective course, my path swiftly veered toward one of calculus, physics, and lots of looking up and out while most kept their eyes on the ground.  In 2010 I enrolled at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY to pursue a B.A. in Physics and Astronomy.

 

Over the years at Colgate, my love for Astronomy remained  persistent, much like the vivid dreams of working out physics algebra in my sleep. With an unforgettable visit to Arecibo Observatory and two summers of research under my belt, I decided there was too much I didn't know yet to stop there! I graduated Colgate in 2014 and applied to graduate schools, on the quest for more knowledge and more weird math dreams. 

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I began my PhD in Astronomy at UMass Amherst in the fall of 2015. The grad school years were difficult, but incredibly rewarding. I learned that it takes time and patience to accumulate the expertise I craved, but it was well worth it. I had the opportunity to research multiple sectors of the universe with different data sets, visit telescopes, attend conferences to present my work, and travel the world.

 

I'm eternally grateful to the brilliant,  accomplished professors at UMass Amherst and Colgate for laying the foundation of my knowledge.  I was always struck by how deeply they all cared about learning and expanding their mastery. The questions they would ask, during talks, to one another etc, came from such a genuine place of wanting to know.  This is my favorite thing about being among academic Astrophysicists-- I've never met one that thinks of this as just a job. It lives inside them, and I feel the same way.

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My hobbies include singing, playing piano, enjoying nature, and making mind-bending social media content! Follow me on Instagram @interdimensional.astrophysics! I began a podcast in 2023 called The Orphic. While we're on hiatus at the moment, we do have about 60 episodes that you can check out to expand your mind!