I am a recent graduate of Indiana University. I'm currently working with Dr. Katherine Rhode on finding optical counterparts to ultracompact high-velocity clouds, nearby HI sources detected through the ALFALFA survey. By searching for possible stellar overdensities in images from the WIYN 3.5m telescope, we hope to set limits on how small a dwarf galaxy could be.
Astronomy PhD, June 2022
Indiana University
Astronomy MA, 2019
Indiana University
Astronomy BS, 2016
Case Western Reserve University
"The Impact of Assembly Bias on the Galaxy Content of Dark Matter Halos"
Zehavi, I., Contreras, S., Padilla, N., Smith, N.J., Baugh, C.M., Norberg, P. 2018, ApJ, 853, 1
"Off the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation: a population of baryon-dominated ultra-diffuse galaxies"
Mancera Piña, P.E., Fraternali, F., Adams, E.A.K., and 17 co-authors 2019, ApJL, 883, L33
"Robust H I kinematics of gas-rich ultra-diffuse galaxies: hints of a weak-feedback formation scenario"
Mancera Piña, P.E., Fraternali, F., Oman, K.A. and 16 co-authors 2020, MNRAS, 495, 3636
"VLA Imaging of HI-bearing Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies from the ALFALFA Survey"
Gault, L., Leisman, L., Adams, E.A.K. and 12 co-authors 2021, ApJ, 909, 19
"The ALFALFA Almost Dark Galaxy AGC 229101: A 2 Billion Solar Mass HI Cloud with a Very Low Surface Brightness Optical Counterpart"
Leisman, L., Rhode, K.L., Ball, C. and 11 co-authors, 2021, AJ, 162, 274
Instructor of Record for A100: The Solar System
Indiana University: Summer 2021
I taught an online, introductory course for non-major undergraduates with an enrollment of 28 students. The class focused on the solar system, including its formation and constituents, as well as some astronomy basics and a bit about the new frontier of exoplanets. Due to the abbreviated time frame of our summer sessions (6 weeks), I restructured the existing format to make better use of that time and to ensure the course was focused on necessary topics. I created question banks for each unit in the class and revamped the existing questions and discussion assignments. I also provided lots of outside material to further the students' engagement with the topics and kept the students up to date with ongoing work to explore the solar system further.
Instructor of Record for A105: Stars and Galaxies
Indiana University: Fall 2018
I taught an in-person, introductory astronomy course with an enrollment of 26 students. I was solely responsible for creating the syllabus, assignments and exams, and lecturing twice a week. The course is focused on giving students a basic approach to the science of astronomy, including topics such as gravity, the nature of light, the Sun, the properties of stars, galaxies, and cosmology.
Instructor of Record for A107: Art of Astronomy
Indiana University: Summer 2018
I co-taught an online, intro class with an enrollment of 56 students. The Art of Astronomy (A107) is a course designed to engage students with the beauty and science contained within popular astronomical images. The course utilizes activities including labs with Adobe Photoshop and Stellarium software and a final project designed to allow students to create their own images to convey astronomical information. I helped write quizzes and the syllabus for the course as well as maintained student engagement with anouncements and virtual office hours.
Associate Instructor
Indiana University: Various Semesters
Assisted instructors of various introductory courses. Duties included proctoring exams, running small lab activities, leading study sessions, and grading. Courses included the Solar System (A100), Stars and Galaxies (A105), and the Art of Astronomy (A107).