About Me

I’m a fifth-year PhD student in the Department of Astronomy at Columbia University. I use computational and semi-analytic methods to study the origins of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and the formation of the first stars in the universe. I primarily work on the heavy-seed formation channel for SMBHs, which suggests that a supermassive star could be the seed of these black holes, which would allow them to grow large enough to account for the SMBHs we observe at redshift z~6. I’m also interested in conditions that trigger star formation in high-redshift halos, with a focus on unique conditions that could lead to a supermassive star. In my free time, I also work on projects related to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

I’m also passionate about scientific outreach and mentoring, where I’ve served as the Co-Director and a group leader for the Columbia STAR (Student Training in Astronomy Research) program since 2024 and will continue to serve through 2026. This year-long program pairs groups of high school students with graduate student mentors and gives them the opportunity to carry out research under their mentor’s supervision. I’m planning to expand this program to another institution during my Postdoc.

I grew up in Washington state, and received my BS in physics/math and my BA in philosophy from Western Washington University (2020). My undergraduate research involved work in condensed matter (quantum dynamics), quantum foundations, astronomy, and machine learning applied to astronomy. I’m passionate about open-source code development, building the quantum simulators qubit_sim and no_wave_qm during my undergraduate research. I plan to contribute more to open-source astrophysics software.