About Me
Astronomer
I am an astronomer interested in brown dwarfs, low-mass stars, exoplanets, and instrumentation. I received my Ph.D. from UCLA in 2018 and will be an NSF AAPF Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Santa Cruz starting Fall 2018. My dissertation combined infrared spectroscopic and astrometric studies of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs with work in the UCLA Infrared Lab on the NIRSPEC upgrade. In the lab, I worked on optical design, detector characterization and testing, and mechanical prototyping and testing.
I’m currently a Keck Visiting Scholar at W. M. Keck Observatory on the island of Hawai’i. I serve as the Instrument Scientist for the NIRSPEC upgrade. I work at the summit of MaunaKea to oversee the installation and testing of the upgraded detector and electronics systems for NIRSPEC, on the dome floor of the Keck I telescope. Later this fall, I’ll be assisting with cold testing and commissioning of the upgraded instrument, from Keck Headquarters in Waimea.
Lindy Hopper
Outside of work, dancing is one of my life-long passions. I have been dancing since I was 3, and lindy hopping for more than 10 years! I social dance regularly around California, and occasionally travel to dance events around the US.
Climber
Climbing is my other passion, alongside dancing. I mostly climb in the gym but like to get outside when I can!
Adventurer
When I’m not in the lab, on the dance floor, or climbing rocks, I enjoy traveling the world, cooking, knitting, reading, biking, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
