HELLO!
I use near-infrared instruments to study young and low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and exoplanets. I am especially excited about astronomy in motion - like short period binaries and fast rotating stars. Keep reading if you want to know more about my work and science!
ABOUT ME
I love instrumentation (see photo to the right). It is challenging and stressful to build and maintain instruments, but these tools are required for astronomy to happen. The teams I have been a part of built MOSFIRE for Keck and IGRINS for McDonald Observatory. Now we are developing MagNIFIES for the Magellan Telescopes.
Under my management IGRINS has also visited Lowell Observatory's Discovery Channel Telescope and Gemini South. When the Giant Magellan Telescope is completed, MagNIFIES will be moved there and rebranded as GMTNIRS. So much instrumentation to stress about, and to hug!
MY EXPERIENCE
Background & Expertise
MAGNIFIES/GMTNIRS INSTRUMENTÂ SCIENTIST
March 2016 - Present
This position is a little bit project scientist and a little bit systems engineering. Primary products have included JHKLMÂ echellogram definitions, facility interface considerations, and instrument layout. We are now finalizing the optical designs and working on the mechanical engineering aspects.
IGRINS INSTRUMENTÂ MANAGER
July 2016Â - Present
My role for IGRINS is now focused on logistical and instrumentation rather than observing. This has included the transportation and installation of IGRINS to the Discovery Channel Telescope for 3 visits and to Gemini South in Chile.
IGRINS POSTDOC
July 2014 - July 2016
As the IGRINS postdoc I managed the instrumentation and observation demands of the instrument at McDonald Observatory. This included over 140 nights of observing and regular summer maintenance.
INSTRUMENTATION
IGRINS AT THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL TELESCOPE AND GEMINI SOUTH
Between September 2016 and April 2019 IGRINS made three separate visits to the DCT. In the 2018A semester we took IGRINS to Gemini South for 50 nights of observing time. This included 15 nights awarded to my Large and Long Program targeting young stars in Ophiuchus.
MOSFIRE, THE MULTI-OBJECT SPECTROMETER FOR INFRA-RED EXPLORATION AT THE KECK OBSERVATORY
For my PhD instrumentation I assembled, tested, modified, and commissioned many of the mechanisms in the MOSFIRE spectrograph. The most memorable, and challenging, aspects were the configurable slit unit and detector head. Guider camera modifications gave me the most satisfaction.
EDUCATION
MBA - NAVEEN JINDAL SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ATÂ DALLAS
August 2015Â - June 2018
Science happens on small budgets and with funding from the public. With an MBA from UT Dallas I know more about project development and management, budgeting and accounting, and business culture. These tools make me a better scientist and a much better instrumentalist.
PH.D. IN ASTRONOMY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES ( UCLA )
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September 2008 - June 2014
I discovered some of the coldest brown dwarf neighbors to the Sun, and characterized the orbits of binary stars. With an emphasis on infrared instrumentation, my love of the challenge to build tools for astronomy blossomed.
BSÂ PHYSICS &Â ASTRONOMY -
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY (NAU)
August 2003Â - May 2008
Having grown up in Flagstaff, I was introduced to astronomy and starlit skies from a young age. At NAU I explored mathematics, anthropology, physics and astronomy. I found astronomy to be the greatest challenge and made it my career.
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LET’S CONNECT
The University of Texas at Austin
Department of Astronomy
2515 Speedway, Stop C1400
Austin, Texas 78712-1205