Research/Areas of Interest
Astronomy; galaxy formation and evolution; nearby galaxies; galaxy archaeology; resolved stellar populations
In the current cosmological paradigm, galaxies interact with each other throughout their lives, growing hierarchically – small objects merging to become larger objects. While all galaxies are expected to experience such mergers, these are dynamic and varied events, impacting galaxies' evolution in complex ways. Galaxy populations in the present-day universe are highly diverse and exhibit universal trends in their interstellar content, star formation, and structure. How does the chaotic, merger-driven evolution of galaxies result in these complex, coherent systems?
My research addresses this question largely by studying the nearest galaxies. Using instruments such as the James Webb, Hubble, and Roman space telescopes, we can resolve both the main bodies of galaxies and their stellar halos - the graveyard of material accreted during past mergers - into individual stars. Even though they are millions of light years away! Using these populations of stars, we can reconstruct the histories of galaxies, much like an archaeological record, to determine how their structure, content, and star formation have changed over time, and how their past mergers have impacted this evolution. Overall, my aim is to study the nearest galaxies in their full global context at high resolution, to reveal the fundamental physical processes that underpin their diverse evolutionary pathways.
Education
- PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States, 2020
- B.S., University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, United States, 2015