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I am an observational astronomer that enjoys writing exciting proposals, but need the energy and dedication of students and postdocs to push the boundaries of science and achieve my research vision. I also just generally enjoy working with people and sharing the excitement of discovery! Since becoming a postdoc and then research scientist, I have supervised 5 Postdoctoral, 11 Masters/Graduate, 14 Undergraduate, and 2 High School students mainly as part of the BASS survey leading to 22 student/postdoc led refereed papers. Typically this research involves a combination of publishing a large new dataset with a cutting edge observational facility that I have already obtained through my observing programs and then pursuing the scientific investigations. I like to set an achievable goal with multiple steps since every project has a specific limited timeline for each individual. During these investigations we work together on new proposals and scientific ideas as well. My style is highly collaborative, using Python and Jupyter lab for code, Overleaf for shared scientific writing, slack for daily updates on plots and progress, along with weekly meetings. In my current role as an independent research scientist, I will typically fund postdocs that I directly oversee, along with being the scientific adviser for grad/masters students on specific projects/papers. I also work with undergraduates (typically over the summers) through the Maria Mitchell Observatory REU as well as REUs through Yale. Currently, I have 3 postdocs I hired for the BASS survey research along with 3 graduate student projects.
My Team Philosophy
My research groups operate on the principle that every member, regardless of their stage in the academic journey, brings valuable insights and questions to the table. We foster an environment where mutual respect guides our interactions, ensuring that ideas are shared freely and received with openness. This ethos supports a culture of vertical and horizontal learning, where knowledge transfer is not just top-down from more experienced researchers to newcomers, but also peer-to-peer among individuals at similar stages of their careers (e.g., postdoc, grad student, undergrad). Such a dynamic environment encourages innovation and shared learning, as fresh perspectives challenge established norms, and collective wisdom.
In our pursuit of new knowledge, we are also deeply committed to ensuring that our research is not only reproducible but also understandable to the broader public. Reproducibility is the cornerstone of scientific integrity, providing a foundation for others to build upon our work with confidence. We expect that any published work should adhere to rigorous standards of data sharing, methodological transparency, and be replicated using the data available in the paper. We strive to communicate our discoveries in ways that captivate and educate, bridging the gap between complex astrophysical phenomena and public curiosity. Through public lectures, outreach programs, and engaging online content, we aim to inspire the next generation of scientists and foster a wider appreciation for the cosmos.
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