California Polytechnic State University
Associate Professor of Physics
I am interested in galaxy evolution in different environments. In particular, questions about brightest cluster galaxies and their relationship to the intra-cluster light, nearby companions, and intra-cluster medium and large-scale structure drive much of my research. I approach the topic as an observational astronomer, having built programs with instruments like SITELLE on CFHT and SparsePak on WIYN and by mining X-ray, optical, near-IR, and radio databases.
I am excited for LSST as it will generate the largest and most uniform sample to date of galaxy clusters. I am engaged with the Observatory as a data preview (DP0) delegate and as a member of the commissioning team. As principal investigator of the project: Establishing a diverse community of expert Rubin Observatory users throughout the California State University System, funded by the National Science Foundation, I lead a team of undergraduate students in exploring the Rubin Science Platform and developing their own science questions. As a faculty member at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, a primarily undergraduate institution, I spend much of my time developing and implementing student-centered activities in introductory and advanced astronomy and physics courses. If you are considering a career that interfaces with undergraduate-level students, reach out.