About Me

I am a PhD student at the University of Chicago, interested in developing novel Astronomical Instrumentation (with particular interest in IFUs and Spectroscopic instruments). I earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering and a B.S. in Physics & Astronomy, with a certificate in nanotechnology from the University of Pittsburgh

My current research (paper in prep) focuses on kinematic trend comparisons between low-redshift and high-redshift galaxies, using the MaNGA and LEGA-C surveys.

I documented and have been a core developer of the Aperspec (yet-unpublished) python library which artificially mocks spectral cubes to higher redshift. This code has been instrumental in my research, as it allows me to perform apples-to-apples comparisons between the two dissimilar surveys.

Outside of this work, I enjoy crafting/DIY, board games, and table-top roleplaying games. I make my own polyhedral dice (and hope to begin selling custom, comissioned dice). I have TTRPG experience as both a player and a game master in TTRPGs, and while my game design experience is currently limited to a hack of the Honey Heist system, I hope to design my own TTRPG systems in the future.

My personal ethic centers around equity, communication, personal liberty, safety, and innovation.
To those ends, I place great emphasis on improving accessibility in both academia and broader life, with a focus on using marginalized voices to guide these improvements. Science does not exist in a vacuum; it both shapes and is shaped by society and thus has the potential to be influenced by and reinforce existing social biases and inequities. I believe that ethical research must be made with these interactions in mind.
I also believe that open and honest communication is vital to personal and professional success. I do my best to be clear and direct with my language, and I appreciate when others call on me to clarify any ambiguities in what I say. Likewise, I appreciate when others are direct with me.