Welcome to my page! I am a postdoctoral research scholar at Montana State University passionate about space and data. Currently, I straddle the realms of heliophysics and planetary science. My postdoctoral research focuses on the evolution of solar wind structures called corotating interaction regions (CIRs) throughout the heliosphere. I'm interested in understanding acceleration processes within these regions by examining data from multiple spacecraft throughout our solar system.
Additionally, I'm interested in understanding the global properties of hydrogen energetic neutral atoms at the Red Planet through the use of Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) data.
When I'm not learning about the solar system, I'm an avid coffee drinker, traveler, outdoorswoman, and dog snuggler!
Undergraduate Work
I received my Bachelor of Arts from Lafayette College in 2016. I double majored in Physics and German and also received a minor in Mathematics along the way. While attending this small liberal arts college, I had the privilege of working alongside Professor David Nice analyzing millisecond pulsar data from the Green Bank Telescope and Arecibo during both my junior and senior year. Here I experienced what it meant to work with "big data" for the first time and also learned to code in Python. I also had the opportunity to work at the University of Bielefeld with Professor Joris Verbiest during the summer between my junior and senior year, where I analyzed "mode-switching" behavior of a pulsar using data collected by the low frequency array (LOFAR) radio telescope.
Graduate School
My graduate school path was exceptionally nonlinear, but I ultimately ended up where I should be. After failing to be accepted into any PhD programs here in the US in spring of 2016, I was accepted to the University of Bonn where I sought to obtain an MS in Astrophysics. After one semester, I knew it wasn't a good fit, so I gave US schools another try. It was in 2017 when I was accepted to the University of Iowa and began my journey towards a PhD. Due to unforseen circumstances, I obtained my MS in Physics in 2019 and left for industry. After two years and one pandemic later, I decided that it was time to get back on the graduate school horse to obtain my PhD. I started back at the University of Iowa in August 2021 and defended my PhD thesis on September 26, 2023!
My master's thesis was written under the advisory of Professor Jasper Halekas and focused on characterizing the behavior of penetrating protons at Mars, a summary of which can be found in my publication here. I also completed a project that was an extension of this analysis where I focused on how magnetic fields tie into the observed behavior of both backscattered and downward penetrating protons. The results of that analysis can be found here. My final doctoral dissertation is avaiable for your perusal here.
I'm passionate about making physics an inclusive space. As a queer woman with hidden disabilities, I feel strongly about creating a welcoming environment for people in my field. Steps that I've taken to foster inclusivity in physics include partaking in the planning of the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) at the University of Iowa in January 2023, founding a Women in Physics group at the University of Iowa in 2021, and serving as a panelist at CUWiP in January 2024 at Montana State University. Additionally, I am a huge advocate for having more open dialogue about mental health within my field. Graduate students, in particular, are facing a mental health crisis, and I believe that discussing these matters is of the utmost importance.