Fellowships, Scholarships, and Grants
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Progam Recipient
Physics Grad Student Travel Award
University of Virginia Bascom S. Deaver Scholarship Recipient
Jefferson Trust Recipient for the construction of a cosmic ray telescope.
Honors and Awards
Scott Anderson Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award; UIUC Physics Department
Excellence in Outreach, Service, and Diversity Award; UIUC Physics Department
People's choice award, UIUC Physics Research Highlight Competition
Ranked excellent teacher by students, all four semesters taught
Sigma Pi Sigma; National Physics Honors Society
Echols Scholar; University of Virginia
Professional Experience
6/2019 - Present
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
I studied modified theories of gravity that can contain up to six polarizations of gravitational waves, which are allowed to propagate at different speeds. I developed a model-independent method to obtain these gravitational wave polarizations directly from the metric perturbation for such theories. Furthermore, I extended the parameterized post-Einsteinian framework to accommodate theories with different gravitational wave propagation speeds. Finally, I constructed a waveform template to investigate what constraints might be placed on a specific modified theory of gravity, Einstein-æther theory, with LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave events.
Currently I am exploring:​
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how different propagation speeds would impact detection,
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how gravitational wave data might contribute to measurements of cosmological quantities,
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how neglected effects might bias parameter estimation for neutron stars,
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how well LISA might be able to constrain additional polarizations,
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and what constraints might be placed on bumpy equations of state for neutron stars.
Illinois Relativity Group
Supervisor: Nicolás Yunes
8/2019 - 12/2023
TEACHING ASSISTANT
Physics Department
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Courses taught (leading discussion section):
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PHYS 101 - College Physics: Mech & Heat
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PHYS 102 - College Physics: E&M & Modern
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PHYS 213 - Univ Physics: Thermal Physics
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PHYS 214 - Univ Physics: Quantum Physics
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PHYS 495/ARTS 499 - The Art of Physics and the Physics of Art
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12/2018 - 6/2019
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
University of Virginia Gravity Group
I predicted what constraints would be placed on the neutron star (NS) equation of state (EoS) by combining constraints from LIGO/VIRGO results with those of the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER).
Supervisor: Kent Yagi
6/2016 - 11/2018
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
University of Virginia High Energy Physics Group
I Designed and constructed a cosmic ray muon telescope to measure the background rates of cosmic ray muons at the Mu2e experiment site. I Took measurements at Fermilab for 2 months and analyzed the data.
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Supervisor: Edmond C. Dukes
Programming Languages
C++/C (expert)
Python (proficient)
Technical Skills
Latex (expert)
Mathematica (proficient)
Git (expert)
Docker (proficient)
Software Libraries used: Numpy, GWpy, PyCBC, Matplotlib, GSL, OpenMP
Certifications: completed course in the Protection of Human Subjects (in Research) through the CITI Program, LIGO Open Data Workshop
Mentorship
I have already served as a research and academic mentor to both graduate and undergraduate students. Through my research group I have led projects with three undergraduates and two junior graduate students.
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Furthermore, I have mentored and worked with more undergraduate students than I can count through the POINT project. ​​