Affiliations
| Physics |Collaborations
|I am a PhD Candidate in the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos researching quantum gravity, specifically modified black hole spacetimes. I am interested in the nature of spacetime and enjoy the mathematical challenges of working with complex geometries. I have additional interests in analog gravity, evidence-based pedagogy, and community building. I graduated with Honors in Astrophysics from Brown with my thesis refuting a black hole firewall model. My early work includes an RI NASA Space Grant researching star formation rates in galaxy clusters, as well as an REU at UW Madison investigating the merger history of fossil galaxies. I have ongoing projects with Martin Bojowald, investigating various black holes with modifications introduced in the Hamiltonian constraint. The first is analyzing the volume-computability relationship of a black hole in which the singularity is replaced by a bubble of Euclidean space. I am investigating the properties around the point of metric signature change and implications for black hole “deaths.” Another of my projects is determining the properties of a spacetime with a scalar field introduced as a quantum correction. Funded by a Chateaubriand Fellowship, I have also begun collaborating with Karim Noui at the University of Paris-Saclay. I am applying novel quasinormal mode calculation methods to identify the nuances of gravitational wave signals from mergers of these modified black holes. The results should be testable with LISA. As a Teaching Assistant, I developed various class activities. This included a presentation about building an inclusive community, in which I address the existence of systemic bias, its common manifestations, and how to handle these experiences. Having received a very positive response from my classes, and presented a version of this at the department colloquium, I plan to work with Louis Leblond on a pedagogical study to measure the impact of this intervention. Since joining Penn State, I have served as both Outreach Chair and President for Physics and Astronomy for Women+, and I am now helping to found another group, Physicists for Inclusivity (PI). I have served on the Physics Department Climate Community and Diversity Committee, the Eberly College of Science Climate Committee, and the Penn State APS IDEA Team. I am proud to be helping to strengthen our community by making it more welcoming and inclusive. If you would like to discuss any of these topics with me, please do not hesitate to email me.
Publications