The first identification of a turnover in the initial mass function within a stellar population, NGC 2024. See link for NASA Press Release.
Outreach
Continuing Education Courses for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
In Austin, I work with Lifelong Learning with Friends, an organization that provides continuing education courses for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). While many programs for adults with IDDs focus on job training skills, LLwF focuses on courses for the sake of learning, something frequently absent in programs for adults with IDDs. Our classes meet once per week for two hours over a six week period. These courses are designed as engaging, college-level courses which are taken alongside volunteers, many of which are UT students. Our classes range from completely hands-on experiment based to a combination of lecture and breakout activity sessions. As people with disabilities exist throughout the world, there is a need for classes like these where you live too! If you are interested in hosting your own classes where you live, please contact me and I would be happy to work with you to setup classes in your area.
Cosmic Adventures: Introduction to Astronomy
In summer 2025, I designed and taught this introductory astronomy course for LLwF. We discussed topics ranging from the solar system and star formation to black holes and galaxies, incorporating hands-on activities like the gravity well experiment and the Galaxy Zoo into the lesson plan. Here are links to the slideshows for each of the classes:
Observing the Cosmos
In fall 2025, I designed and taught another course for Lifelong Learning with Friends called "Observing the Cosmos" where we used campus telescopes every week for six weeks to observe and monitor various astronomical objects to determine any differences over time, such as the sunspots on the Sun and the phases of the Moon. We also observed binary stars and the planets in the Solar System. Each class included a lecture on the specific topic and how our observations allow us to understand the science behind these objects.
The Science of Science Fiction
I am currently teaching a course for Lifelong Learning with Friends called "The Science of Science Fiction" where we will cover topics such as light sabers, wormholes, and time travel. Visit the LLwF website to sign-up! I will post the slideshows here after each class is completed.
In our first week, we talked about Solar System travel and exploration, first introducing the solar system itself, then digging into topics such as upcoming Artemis missions to land on the Moon and build a base, the prospects for going to Mars, and the potential for surviving on other places in the solar system such as Europa or Pluto. We drew inspiration from NASA videos from the Perseverance rover, the TV show "For All Mankind" and the movie "The Martian". Check out the slides here.
In our second week, we talked about the possibility of interstellar travel. We talked about how NASA has launched hundreds of space probes, their speeds, and the use of gravity assists. We then did some math to figure out how long it would take Voyager 1 to get to the closest star and closest galaxy, and discussed distance scales between stars relating it to the size of every day objects. We discussed the possibility of suspended animation and building a civilization on a ship, drawing inspiration from "Avatar" and "WALL-E". We finished our class with a conversation about flying warp speed and the possibility of a worm hole. Check out the slides here.
Exoplanets and Life Beyond Earth
I am also teaching another course called "Exoplanets and Life Beyond Earth". In this course, we will explore where life might exist beyond Earth, from hidden places in our solar system to distant exoplanets, and why we have not found extraterrestrial life yet. We will learn about possible signs of life and explore known exoplanets and discuss if they could be hospitable for life. Visit the LLwF website to sign-up! I will post the slideshows here after each class is completed.
In our first week, we talked about the Solar System. We first talked about the configuration of the Solar System before exploring their relative sizes and distances and what makes rocky planets different from giant planets. Then, we discussed each planet in detail, focused on their composition, atmospheres, surface features, water content, and their mooons and rings if any. We went to the roof of the astronomy building to look at Saturn and its rings and Jupiter and its moons. We finished up class talking about the various types of moons in the Solar System, unique features of particularly interesting moons (like Europa and Enceladus) and some future NASA missions to them. Check out the slides here.
Special Olympics
Special Olympics
I took a group from UT to Melissa, TX for the Special Olympics Texas Summer Games in May 2025 where we brought telesecopes to observe the Sun and the Moon. We had over 800 visitors to our booth where we answered questions about space and astronomy. We demonstrated how we can use these telescopes to observe the Sun, setup the telescopes for individual observing, and explained the physical reasons behind why we see sunspots and solar flares. Contact me if you are interested in holding a similar outreach event at your home institution!
