NASA Hubble Fellow · CIERA — Northwestern University
Saarah Hall (PhD student, 2025–present) — Leading analysis of JWST observations of the calcium-strong transient SN 2024uj from a Director's Discretionary program (PI: L. A. Kwok).
Zhiying Mei (High School Student, Summer 2025) — Three-week REACH Further mentorship.
Saarah is analyzing a late-time near-infrared JWST spectrum of SN 2024uj, a member of the rare and enigmatic class of calcium-strong transients. The origins of these explosions remain highly uncertain—we don’t yet know whether they arise from white-dwarf detonations or the core collapse of massive stars. The data reveal the first detection of carbon monoxide in such an event, a molecule that serves as a precursor to dust formation in the ejecta. To learn more, check out Saarah’s poster.
Michaela Schwab (2023–2025) — Led an honors thesis undergraduate and post-baccalaureate project on late-time HST photometry of SN 2012Z. Results are available in her first-author paper: “The Remarkable Late-Time Flux Excess in HST Observations of the Type Iax Supernova 2012Z” (arXiv 2504.01063, 2025). Michaela is now a graduate student at the University of Virginia.
Colin Macrie (2023–2024) — Undergraduate honors thesis on ground-based and JWST observations of the normal Type Ia SN 2023qov; now a graduate student at Purdue University.
Teresa Boland (2022–2023) — Honors thesis on supernova emission-line velocity evolution, presented at AAS 241 (Seattle); now a graduate student at Purdue University.
Michaela analyzed very late-time HST observations of the faint, unusual Type Iax supernova SN 2012Z — taken more than 2500 days after it exploded. SN 2012Z is the only white-dwarf supernova with a detected companion star before the explosion, and it remains brighter than that pre-explosion source. Our analysis showed that this long-lasting light requires an additional energy source, most likely a “bound remnant” surviving from the incomplete explosion. The paper (M. Schwab, L. A. Kwok, et al. 2025) is available on arXiv.
Independent Instructor — Rutgers University
PHY 110: Astronomy and Cosmology (Summer 2023)
Designed and taught an online, synchronous introductory course on the structure of the universe and astronomical methods.
Teaching Assistant — Rutgers University
PHY 115/116: Extended Analytical Physics (2019–2020)
Led active-learning recitations for an introductory mechanics sequence for engineering majors.
The course, developed by Physics Education Researchers, supported underrepresented and underprepared students and transitioned online during COVID-19.
PHY 341, 441/541, and 272 (2020–2022)
Graded and guest lectured for upper-level courses in astrophysics, stellar evolution, and electromagnetism for undergraduate and master’s students.
Completed the Developing Educational Leaders among TAs in Physics (DELTA-P) seminar in Fall 2019.
Physics Teacher — The Westminster Schools, Atlanta GA (2018–2019)
Taught Honors and Regular 9th-grade Physics, designing all curricula, labs, and assessments with an emphasis on hands-on, collaborative learning.
Coached the state-champion FIRST Robotics Team and co-taught a January-term Game Design course.
Instructor in Physics — Phillips Academy, Andover MA (2017–2018)
Taught PHY 400 – College Physics and PHY 440 – Astronomy (11th–12th grade), incorporating telescope observing sessions and data analysis.
Served as dorm counselor and mentor, and contributed to the Gender Studies Advisory Board to promote equity in STEM.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant — California Institute of Technology (2016–2017)
Assisted in PHY 6: Intermediate Physics Laboratory, teaching instrument use, data analysis, and propagation of experimental uncertainty.
Teaching Assistant & Residential Mentor — Summer Science Program (SSP)
University of Colorado Boulder (2016); New Mexico Tech (2017)
Taught and supervised 36 high-school students per site in a residential astrophysics research program.