About Me
I am a fourth year graduate student in the Astrophyiscal Sciences and Technology PhD program at Rochester Institute of Technology. I am interested in the presence of eccentricity in binary black hole observations. My work involves gravitational wave parameter inference of black hole binaries (BBH), focusing on measuring and constraining any residual eccentricity these binaries could possess. I work with Dr. Richard O'Shaughnessy as a member of RIT's Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation, as well as the CBC working group within the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration. I am also passionate about outreach. I love working with high school students and undergraduates, particularly to help women engage in the field from a younger age.
I completed my Master's degree studying Template Lattices for a Cross-Correlation Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves from Scorpius X-1 with Dr. John Whelan. Before joining the AST program at RIT, I received my B.S. (Honors) in Physics from Roberts Wesleyan University. I supplemented my program with extra courses in astronomy and mathematics from both RIT and the University of Rochester. I was an undergraduate research assistant to Dr. Alice Quillen (UR), studying the properties of viscoelastic rotators, and Dr. John Whelan (RIT), exploring lattice template placement.
Additionally, I have been a member of the RNY WPSL team, the Flower City 1872 UWS team, as well as the Rochester Lazers (USASA National Runner's Up). I was a member of the RWU Division II women's varsity soccer team and played the violin in the community orchestra. I also enjoy rock climbing, garment sewing and quilting, and spending time with my husband and our two cats.