About
AstroPAL
Meet the
'PALs
Gastro Pal
Academics
Living
Resources
About AstroPAL |
Meet the 'PALs |
Gastro Pal |
Academics |
Living |
Resources |
Maura Shea (4th year grad)
AstroPAL Co-President
Office: 1 Park Place, #709
Email: mshea3@gsu.edu
Advisor: Mike Crenshaw
Research interests: AGN feedback in compact galaxy groups.
Research techniques: Ground-based long slit spectroscopy with APO, and some JWST spectroscopy in the future!
Programming language of choice: Python, especially Jupyter notebooks (and IDL against my will).
I should be your first stop for: Taking coffee breaks, vent sessions, making your plots pretty, or anything crafty!
Hobbies beyond work: Reading, sewing, hiking, and traveling.
Random advice for new grad students: Be sure to set aside time every week (and a little time everyday!) just for you. There’s no point in grad school if you’re burnt out in the end.
Favorite places to work outside the office: Cafe Lucia.
Know your neighbors! Maura lives in: Sandy Springs, at the end of the Red Line.
Aman Kar (5th year grad)
AstroPAL Co-President
Office: 1 Park Place, #716
Email: akar5@gsu.edu
Advisor: Todd Henry
Research interests: Low-mass stars, Flares, Rotation, Cycles, Magnetism, Exoplanet Hosts.
Research techniques: Ground based / space based photometry and spectroscopy.
Programming language of choice: Python always.py
I should be your first stop for: Needing a ride / Getting a drink / Debating about anything.
Hobbies beyond work: Walking around ATL, Long drives around GA, Tasting local breweries.
Random advice for new grad students: You can swap your weekends for weekdays. This means if you want to take Wednesdays off, you can work on Saturday instead. Basically you can work whenever you want. If you get stuck on anything (living in ATL problems, classes, homework, research) ask a grad student. Chances are they had the exact same problem before you.
Favorite places to work outside the office: Piedmont Park / GSU Library.
Know your neighbors! Aman lives in: Lindbergh.
Andrew Couperus (7th year grad)
Office: 25 Park Place, 6th Floor Cubicles
Email: acouperus1@gsu.edu
Advisor: Todd Henry
Research interests: low-mass stars (long-term variability, magnetic activity, rotation)
Research techniques: photometry, spectroscopy, light curves, MCMC + Gaussian Processes, x-rays
Programming language of choice: Python!
I should be your first stop for: Fun facts. Metal cover recommendations. Information about high-quality warm socks. Friendly conversations about climate change and climate grief, mental health, sleep hygiene, meditation, work-life balance
Hobbies beyond work: PC gaming, fantasy novels, cooking, running, photography, hiking, learning
Random advice for new grad students: Take your mental and physical health seriously during grad school (and always). Ask for help, be it academic or personal. Take a break, do things you find relaxing or fulfilling. Be authentic to yourself in the choices you make. Form connections and try to establish a positive support network if you don't have one.
Favorite places to work outside the office: Desktop at home (I WFH a lot)
Know your neighbors! Andrew lives in: NE Atlanta, near Emory
Mary Geer Dethero (6th year grad)
Office: 25 Park Place
Email: mdethero1 @ gsu.edu
Advisor: Jane Pratt
Research interests: Stellar evolution, fluid dynamics of stellar interiors
Research techniques: Programming hydrodynamic simulations of stars, data analysis, typing long equations into LaTeX...
Programming language of choice: Python and Fortran
I should be your first stop for: Talking about how stars work, taking coffee breaks, getting codes to run
Hobbies beyond work: Yoga, frequenting Piedmont Park/The Beltline, painting, crosswords, photography, going out for a coffee or drink
Random advice for new grad students: Find a support system, identify mentors, and ask questions. You aren't here by accident. You can do this!
Favorite places to work outside the office: Dancing Goats Coffee, Atlanta History Center
Know your neighbors! MG lives in: Midtown ATL
Becky Flores (6th year grad)
Office: 25 Park Place
Email: bflores5 @ gsu.edu
Advisor: Russel White
Research interests: Stellar sizes and masses, binaries, red dwarfs, main-sequence stars
Research techniques: Interferometry at CHARA (CLASSIC, MIRC-X/Mystic, and a little bit of PAVO).
Programming language of choice: Python
I should be your first stop for: All things CHARA or Los Angeles related.
Hobbies beyond work: gym, playing piano, reading, cooking, naps with my cat Benji, watching spooky shows/movies.
Random advice for new grad students: Get comfortable asking for help (whether it's with school or personal stuff) from your professors, advisor, or the grads.
Favorite places to work outside the office: a coffee shop.
Know your neighbors! Becky lives in: Los Angeles but previously near East Atlanta Village and Buckhead.
Fallon Konow (5th year grad)
Office: Virtual from Southern California or Rome
Email: konow1@gsu.edu
Advisor: Stuart Jefferies (officially Piet Martens for the time being)
Research interests: Solar flares, space weather, instrumentation.
Research techniques: Ground-based instrument building/aligning/observing, Doppler and magnetic field imaging.
Programming language of choice: Python and IDL (although it is no fun, I also know LabView)
I should be your first stop for: Outreach opportunities, chatting about the Sun, if you’re visiting Rome, a chat about anything sports-related.
Hobbies beyond work: Sports (especially volleyball and water polo), reading (of the fantasy/sci-fi and romance persuasion), hiking/camping, watching terrible TV, baking.
Random advice for new grad students: Don’t be afraid to say you don’t understand something and ask for help; even from your advisor. The most useful phrase I finally got the courage to use was “I am confused. Why…?” Take some time to do some relax and do things that have absolutely nothing to do school/work.
Favorite places to work outside the office: In the lab.
Know your neighbors! Fallon lives in: Either Hesperia (CA), Rome, or rarely Atlanta (specifically Glenwood Park), but only a message away!
Varun M. Chaturmutha (5th year grad)
Office: Remote
Email: vchaturmutha@gsu.edu
Advisor: Stuart Jefferies (external: Bernhard Fleck)
Research interests: helioseismology, acoustic-gravity waves, dynamics of the solar atmosphere
Research techniques:Fourier analysis, handling big data, and optimization
Programming language of choice: By Choice: Python; By Force: Fortran, IDL
I should be your first stop for: debugging your Python (or MATLAB) code and Linux issues, math/physics discussions or doubts, and sharing good news!
Hobbies beyond work: chess, board games, hiking
Carefully considered, not-very-random advice for new grad students: Don't underestimate the power of a well-rested and well-fed body. It is okay to be not good at something. Don't be afraid to take a day off in the week.
Favorite places to work outside the office: Haven't found any yet
Know your neighbors! Varun lives in: Boston, MA
Julia Falcone (5th year grad)
Office: 25 Park Place
Email: jfalcone2@gsu.edu
Advisor: Mike Crenshaw
Research interests: AGN feedback and outflows in a galaxy called NGC 3227.
Research techniques: Ground-based long slit spectroscopy with APO, Bayesian fitting techniques, space-based spectroscopy with HST.
Programming language of choice: Python (and some IDL, unfortunately).
I should be your first stop for: Debugging Python code, queer events around town, learning about GSU’s union, any number of hot takes.
Hobbies beyond work: Sewing, knitting/crocheting, improv, movies.
Random advice for new grad students: Develop a friend group/support system outside the department! This can be through other clubs or activities (GSU-affiliated or not) that put you into semi-regular contact with various kinds of people. Expanding your social network beyond the people you work with will open the door to so many fun opportunities you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Favorite places to work outside the office: Anywhere with a window.
Know your neighbors! Julia lives in: Aventura Decatur apartments, around half a mile from the Avondale MARTA station.
Griffin Goodwin (3rd year grad)
Office: 1 Park Place - Office 714
Email: ggoodwin5@gsu.edu
Advisor: Piet Martens and Slava Sadykov
Research interests: Solar transient event forecasting.
Research techniques: Machine learning and analysis of big data
Programming language of choice: Python (this is the only right answer) and SQL.
I should be your first stop for: Running advice, mental health advice, a banger playlist.
Hobbies beyond work: Marathon running, soccer, music, reading, sleeping with my cat Joey :)
Random advice for new grad students: Many others have already said this, but I want to emphasize it again: life is not all about work. Make sure you take the appropriate amount of time to relax and wind down.
Favorite places to work outside the office: East Pole Coffee in Armour Yards
Know your neighbors! Griffin lives in: Lindbergh - easy to get around, plenty of shops, and the MARTA station is super convenient.
Jessica Hamilton (3rd year)
Office: 25 Park Place room 615
Email: jhamilton58@gsu.edu
Advisor: Slava Sadykov
Research interests: Currently: The solar atmosphere with respect to wave, energy, and enthalpy propagation. Actual: Stellar and Solar! Theory background with a modeling focus.
Research techniques: 3D high-resolution atmospheric simulations, spectral analysis, Fourier Analysis.
Programming language of choice: Python and yeah python. I try to avoid others.
I should be your first stop for: Advice on finding/changing advisors, life advice/venting/nonjudgemental active listening, Coffee/Tea, and I run the Soda Fund ( Go-To for snack items).
Hobbies beyond work: My daughter, reading, movies/TV shows, newly into crocheting, will be picking up a new instrument.
Random advice for new grad students: It is okay to ask questions! No questions are too small! If you are wondering about something (course-wise, research-wise, grad life, etc) chances are others may be as well and there will mostly be someone with an answer. It will take time to adjust to everything which is normal. As you are figuring out your schedule, do not forget about yourself. Work-Life balance is very important but also a challenge to achieve sometimes.
Favorite places to work outside the office: Honestly, I do not have one yet. I work at the office or at home. I am still exploring around myself.
Know your neighbors! Jessica lives in: Sandy Springs (top of MARTA’s red line) but not in a walk friendly area so a vehicle is necessary.
Melodie Sloneker (3rd Year)
Office: 25 Park Place, cubicle right by the conference room.
Email: msloneker1@gsu.edu
Advisor: Sebastien Lepine
Research interests: Stellar Multiplicity Statistics, Substellar/Stellar Companions, the Galactic halo, Galactic halo structure.
Research techniques: Space telescope images (HST, JWST), and large survey data (Gaia).
Programming language of choice: Python.
I should be your first stop for: If you’re feeling imposter syndrome and need to talk to someone, if you have questions about applying to fellowships or want someone to proofread your writing, or if you want to show someone your pet photos :)
Hobbies beyond work: Ballet (if you’re interested in dance at GSU, ask me about the Ballet Company at GSU), reading, and writing.
Random advice for new grad students: Don’t be afraid to take risks and try things! Apply for that fellowship, talk to that person at a conference, take on a leadership position around the department, or try to get time on a telescope. You never know what opportunities could work out and I guarantee you’re doing more exciting research than you even realize!
Favorite places to work outside the office: Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee, or if you’re not near campus, Dancing Goats Coffee is great as well.
Know your neighbors! Melodie lives in: Midtown, right next to Piedmont Park!
Sebastián Carrazco (3rd Year)
Office: 1 Park Place, #713(!)
Email: jcarrazcogaxiola1@gsu.edu
Advisor: Todd Henry
Research interests: K dwarfs: Stellar Properties, Activity, Ages; Exoplanets; Solar System; Aliens.
Research techniques: Observation techniques, Echelle Spectroscopy, Gaia.
Programming language of choice: Python (bash and IDL?).
I should be your first stop for: Coding and data organization, debugging GitHub, improving your plots, designing, and creating banger playlists (no Griffin ;p).
Hobbies beyond work: Watching TV, cooking/baking, create/organize playlists, and Mixing music!
Random advice for new grad students: You are where you need to be, you are more than capable. Gradschool is hard but it does not need to consume you, work in a way to find a work-life balance, it is not impossible.
Favorite places to work outside the office: In my room with my speakers and subwoofer.
Know your neighbors! Sebas lives in: Lenox/Buckhead, 5mins from Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza’s AMC theater.
Madison LeBlanc (3rd Year)
Office: 25 Park Place, cubicle right by the conference room.
Email: mleblanc@gsu.edu
Advisor: Todd Henry
Research interests: M dwarfs, multiplicity rates.
Research techniques: Data analysis, speckle imaging, astrometry, photometry.
Programming language of choice: Python.
I should be your first stop for: Someone to yap with.
Hobbies beyond work: Reading, crafting, watching tv/movies.
Random advice for new grad students: Ask a bunch of questions even if it seems dumb or you think the answer will be no. Everyone in the department is nice and wants to help you succeed.
Favorite places to work outside the office: On my couch.
Know your neighbors! Madison lives in: Lenox Park.
Tim Johns (3rd Year)
Office: 1 Park Place, office 713.
Email: tjohns6@gsu.edu
Advisor: Todd Henry
Research interests: K dwarfs, multiple star systems, exoplanets, cataloguing.
Research techniques: Data analysis, astrometry, photometry, spectroscopy, radial velocity.
Programming language of choice: Python.
I should be your first stop for: Rock/metal music, or if you need to spill some hot gossip.
Hobbies beyond work: Music, Pokemon, tv/movies, cooking.
Random advice for new grad students: Above all else, prioritize your mental health. If you’re having a bad mental health day, it’s better to use a day to recover than to push yourself too hard.
Favorite places to work outside the office: Home desk!
Know your neighbors! Tim lives in: Midtown, next to North Avenue MARTA.