TAURUS Scholar Spotlight: Destiny Howell

The third TAURUS Scholar Spotlight of the year is all about Destiny Howell.  Destiny comes to UT from Hunter College in New York City where she's a rising senior.  She's doing research this summer on brown dwarfs with Dr. Yifan Zhou, a 51 Pegasi B Fellow in the Astronomy Department.  Yifan recently sat down with Destiny to get to know her better.

YZ: What made you interested in the TAURUS program?

DH: There are many reasons. I like that the TAURUS program caters to students from minority backgrounds. This program creates a safe space for me and lets me feel comfortable doing what I am passionate about. I am also fascinated by the McDonald Observatory. In fact, I will visit there in a few weeks. I am really excited about it.

YZ: That’s awesome! I guarantee that you’ll see the most beautiful night sky out there. You have been in the program for a few weeks. How’s your experience in these weeks?

DH: I have been doing research as well as attending workshops. These workshops are very informative. I learned a lot of valuable techniques, including how to do research and how to program in python. Coming from New York City, I find Texas a big shock. But I have been feeling comfortable here.

YZ: Have you explored the city of Austin?

DH: Yes! I have made friends with other scholars. We went to downtown Austin, visited the state capitol, and attended a concert. We want to explore more, maybe go rock climbing.

YZ: That’s a lot of fun! We usually chat about our work in our meetings, but I don’t know too much about you outside of work. What do you like to do in your free time?

DH: I like painting, and I sell my artwork. I also do sculpture sometimes. In the past, I also ran track and played volleyball.

YZ: I didn’t know you are an artist. Have you thought about making a painting for our project? Painting a brown dwarf will make an awesome poster.

DH: Yes, that’s a good idea. I’d love to do it.

YZ: Are there any challenges and obstacles you find in your life?

DH: Being a Black woman in a STEM field, I find it difficult to have peers that look like myself. There are also some unhealthy competitions in the field. I have to battle against having self-doubt. But I have great mentors in my universities that offer me a lot of help so I can overcome these obstacles.

YZ: I hope the TAURUS program will give you more strength. I also hope your experience can encourage more people like you to join STEM fields. Tell me about what you like about research.

DH: I like the fact that I am constantly learning new things. I love studying observational data and interpreting the scientific mechanisms behind the data. This research experience also tells me what it is like to be a scientist, which I enjoy.

YZ: Final question, tell me about your plan for the future.

DH: I will go to grad school, but I am still debating between physics, astronomy, or some other related STEM fields. After grad school, I can see myself working at NASA or SpaceX and contributing to the aerospace industry.

TAURUS Scholar Spotlight: Alfonso Melendez

Today's TAURUS Scholar Spotlight is on Alfonso Melendez, a rising junior right here at the University of Texas at Austin.  Alfonso is transitioning to an astronomy major and is spending the summer working with Prof. Caitlin Casey and UT graduate student Olivia Cooper on spectra of galaxies taken as part of the Webb Epoch of Reionization Lyman-alpha Survey (WERLS).  Caitlin and Olivia sat down with Alfonso recently to get to know him more.

CC: Please tell us more about you. What's your story?

AM: I'm from San Antonio, lived there until I was 18 and then moved up to Austin for college.  I came to UT as an anthropology major, having a lot of interest in Mayan archeology actually, but after my first semester, I became disillusioned with that field after realizing studying it in practice was a bit different than what I thought it would be.  Astronomy was always an interest of mine in school, but I convinced myself I wasn't smart enough for all of the math and physics involved, but now I guess I'm discovering it's more accessible than I thought. Outside of academics, I've always been into art too, anything where I'm creating, especially painting and drawing.

OC: What inspired you to pursue a career in astronomy?

AM: I have a very clear memory of being in 2nd grade, and we weren't learning anything space related, but I know that 3rd graders were — they had their work on the solar system on display in the hallways of the school.  I remember looking at that work and thinking that I **could not wait** to be a 3rd grader and learn about space too.  This answer might seem juvenile, but space is really cool.  That feeling hasn't gone away from that time in 2nd grade to my time doing research today.

CC: I concur.  I think "space is cool" is honestly the reason we are all here!  What are you most proud of?

AM: My parents are actually undocumented Mexican immigrants, and I was the 3rd child of four, and I was the only person in my family who was passionate about learning.  Family support for education was very limited (my parents dropped their education after the 6th grade in Mexico), so for me to stick with it has been a huge challenge. Especially because I don't have a lot of people to look at for guidance on how to take the next steps. I'm really proud of how far I've made it, and I hope to keep going.  Sometimes I forget how much I've learned to get here.

OC: What mentors, teachers, or role models have been the most inspiring to you in your life?

AM: Well, I was really lucky to have Caitlin as my astronomy professor both last semester and this semester, and I was really excited to be paired with you as my research mentor.  Other than that, we just got out of a mentoring workshop where we were talking about how mentorship can come from peers and not just those senior to us, and that really resonated with me.  So another answer would be: my friends!  I have made some really great friendships here in Austin that I'm so thankful for.  Those are people I can go to anytime about anything; I can find so much comfort there and that keeps me going.

CC: Tell us a bit more about your interest in archeology and astronomy.  There is some interesting cross-over there so we're wondering if your attraction to both fields has some similarities?

AM: These two fields were the ones I was always interested in.  For the longest time I felt they were so different, but then at the same time, there are aspects of each that are similar.  I think I'm drawn to both due to their mysterious qualities.  There's a lot that's unknown about archeological sites that's lost to the past, and astronomy is actually pretty similar in its focus on solving mysteries of the unknown.

OC: They are both history in different ways.

AM: Yes, one history is a bit older than the other of course… billions of years rather than thousands of years!

OC: What challenges and obstacles have you faced in your career? How have you overcome these challenges?

AM: Getting into college was a huge obstacle for me.  In junior year of high school, a friend of mine asked me what my strategy was going to be for college applications and asked how I was going to apply to FAFSA with undocumented parents.  My reaction was "FAFSA, what's that? who's that?" So navigating stuff like that was really hard real time while I was doing it.  Building up the courage to actually go ask for help at my school felt like a huge mountain to climb.  Many times it would have been easier to just pass on some opportunities than take the time to figure it all out, but I'm really glad that I persevered through it to be here today.

CC: What advice would you give to high school and undergraduate students of similar background to you who are interested in following your path?

AM: Stick with it! It just comes down to figuring out how to deal with stuff that's very uncomfortable and unfamiliar to you.  But you'll know if pushing your education is what you want, then you just have to stick with it.  Going through with it can bring on a lot of uncomfortable feelings, but I've tried to keep my eye on the goal, knowing I want to be a part of this world that feels so different from the one I grew up in.  Looking back, I've been able to accomplish a lot and I hope to keep sticking with it.

TAURUS Scholar Spotlight: Courtney Reed

Courtney Reed joins us this summer from Amherst College in Massachusetts where she is a rising junior majoring in physics and astronomy. Courtney is thriving in her first research experience using cosmological simulations to understand galaxy evolution in our galactic neighborhood, the Local Group. She is studying the theoretical formation of extremely dim and extended low-mass galaxies by identifying analogues of a particularly puffy Milky Way satellite galaxy in simulations. She has already identified a promising simulated analogue galaxy, and her research mentor, Dr. Jenna Samuel, is excited to see where her research will take her! Dr. Samuel sat down with Courtney recently to learn a bit more about her background, interests, and outlook on the future.

Courtney has always had an interest in science beginning with stargazing with her father and frequenting the local science museum at home in Pennsylvania. She gravitated towards physics and astronomy after watching the movie Hidden Figures and seeing her own identity as a Black woman in science represented on screen and at NASA. Since then, she has embedded herself into science and advocacy by volunteering at the very science museum where her interests began to introduce younger generations to science, serving on the NAACP Youth Council in high school, and joining the Black Student Union and other groups dedicated to uplifting underrepresented students in STEM at Amherst.

Looking towards the future, Courtney is hopeful that physics and astronomy are changing for the better – she and other TAURUS scholars will bring much needed new perspectives to the field and our collective body of knowledge. Such enhanced representation of traditionally marginalized people will bring with it a diversity of discoveries that are otherwise unexplored. Courtney also looks forward to more culturally conscious advances in astronomy, particularly with regards to respecting Indigenous lands and traditions in where and how we go about our science.

 

Courtney’s academic pursuits aren’t limited to physics and astronomy though. She has a strong interest in the knowledge, ideologies, and hierarchies of race and gender that physicists and astronomers must navigate in their day-to-day scientific work. Recently, Courtney created an inspiring syllabus for a course on how race and identity interact with the formation of knowledge in physics and astronomy, flawlessly interweaving theories of feminist technoscience and epistemology in modern scientific practice.

 

Outside of work, Courtney enjoys baking and running. Her sister got her started with baking, and recently she’s gotten into cake decorating. She was on the track team at Amherst early on in college, but now finds that she enjoys running for fun in her free time more than competing.

 

Courtney acknowledges that the lack of representation of women of color in physics and astronomy is still a challenge, but she is determined to pursue her interests in spite of it. She wants to go to graduate school after college, where she will become one of the fewer than 100 Black women with PhDs in physics and astronomy. Courtney isn’t yet sure what she will do after grad school, but she’s adamant that her main goal for her future is to be happy and use whatever position she has to uplift marginalized people within her community.

TAURUS 2022 is off and running!

 It's such a pleasure to share with y'all that TAURUS 2022 is off and running with another phenomenal year of scholars.  We don't have a picture of them as one big group to share with you yet because we've been playing a bit of tag with one scholar gone one week and one the next, but we'll get the full group up here soon!  We have ten awesome scholars who've joined us in Austin from around the country working on research projects from the youngest planets forming around nearby stars to the most distant galaxies in the Universe.  Stay tuned to this blog for profiles of each scholar over the course of the summer!

Scholar Spotlight: Diana Gonzalez-Argúeta

 The last TAURUS scholar spotlight of 2021 highlights Diana Gonzalez-Argúeta from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.  She recently sat down with one of her mentors, Prof. Caroline Morley, where they discussed background, community, science, and hobbies.

Diana Gonzalez-Argúeta comes to UT Austin this summer from New Jersey, where she attends the New Jersey Institute of Technology after transferring from Hudson County Community College. She’s been working during the TAURUS program this summer with Dr. Michael Gully-Santiago and Prof. Caroline Morley to understand substellar atmospheres using comparisons between high-resolution infrared spectra from the Keck telescopes and atmosphere models. 

Her family is originally from El Salvador, and Diana grew up in a vibrant Latinx community in New Jersey filled with families from across Central and South America. She is passionate about science communication — one of her particular passions is bringing physics, astronomy, and science back to her community. In the future, one of her major goals is to serve as a medium between the academic world and Latinx communities like the one she grew up in, explaining science concepts in terms that her friends and family would connect with. 

Outside of academics, Diana loves both art and music. She has picked up several different instruments, including the guitar! 

Diana says that she’s learned a lot this summer during the TAURUS program, about both science and herself as a scientist. She is excited to apply to graduate school and get her PhD in the coming years. She’ll be applying to graduate schools in 2022, so look for her application then! 

Along with the other TAURUS Scholars, Diana will be attending the AAS meeting in Salt Lake City in January 2022, so be sure to reach out to meet her if you plan on attending!

Scholar Spotlight: Karina Kimani-Stewart

Today's scholar spotlight features Karina Kimani-Stewart who is a rising junior at Texas Tech University and is excited to pursue a career in astrophysics.  This summer she is working with Prof. Caroline Morley and Dr. Michael Gully-Santiago ("Gully") on understanding exoplanet atmospheres.  Gully sat down with Karina to learn more.

MGS: What got you interested in astronomy?

KKS: As predictable as it sounds, I've always felt drawn to astronomy -- I was the kid who spent summer at space camp! Knowing that there are questions we don't even know to ask yet about worlds we don't even know exist yet is the most fascinating thought. 

MGS: What’s an example of something you learned at the TAURUS program so far?

KKS: Spending this time in TAURUS has taught me to become comfortable with pursuing the unknown. I mean this not only in the scientific sense, but also in the social sense. The way is not yet clearly paved for me or any other young, woman of color in this field. That is why I'm thankful that this program has given me the opportunity to find what it means to be not only an astronomy researcher, but an African-American astronomy researcher.

MGS: What’s been the hardest part of research so far?

KKS: The biggest challenge has been changing my mindset. In school, we're always told "Here's the problem and the answer. Show me how to get there." Whereas here, we're told "Here's the problem and the answer we think might be correct. Show me how to get there." The reason we do what we do is because we are legitimately looking for answers that don't yet exist. As you have taught me, it is important to approach this work with a compass rather than a map, and that shift in thought has been difficult yet rewarding.

MGS: What do you want people to know about you?

KKS: I believe we, as a scientific community, should focus less on trying to get ahead of one another and more on working to progress together. Rather than viewing education as a competition for "best (fill in the blank)" or "highest achievement in (fill in the blank)", we should put more emphasis on our contributions to the bigger picture.

MGS: If you could time travel to 2030, what would you hope to see about the world and about yourself?

KKS: In 2030, I hope to see that the world became more comfortable with adapting to change. As for myself, I hope to look back at the last nine years and see that I did not waste a single opportunity to learn something new. If I can look back and truthfully say that I did everything in my power to become a better, more knowledgeable person, I'd call that a success!

Karina will be presenting her research at the upcoming winter AAS meeting in Salt Lake City, in January 2022.  She's looking forward to meeting up with you there
!

Scholar Spotlight: Stefany Fabian Dubon

Stefany is from the Republic of El Salvador, a country in Central America. She is now pursuing a major in physics at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. This summer, Stefany analyzes the physical conditions and chemical abundances of a local sample of star-forming galaxies using optical spectra from SDSS, MUSE, and LBT data. In the TAURUS program, she is being supported by Prof. Danielle Berg and Dr. Karla Z. Arellano-Córdova. For Stefany, this is her first internship, which makes this adventure more exciting and many things to learn and experiment with. 

KZAC: Why did you select astronomy as your first internship?

SFB: I knew that I wanted to do something in physics since that is my field, but you know astronomy gives me the chance to learn about something bigger than myself, and to study things like stars and planets, which I’ve been curious about for a while. When I found and read about this internship, I instantly realized that I wanted to be a part of it; not only because it would give me the opportunity to work in a field I found so interesting and wanted to learn about, but also because one of its main goals is to create a community for minorities and underrepresented students, which I belong to. It gave me the chance as a latina, women of color to be surrounded by amazing people with similar backgrounds, who share a love for astronomy and who I can learn from! 

KZAC: What most excites you about doing research?

SFB: Just everything, literally! I just, I love how there is not one specific way to do it. You can use different paths, you know, you can find an answer but even if you get one answer, that answer will bring more questions. Having so many possibilities and so many uncertainties and knowing that you have the answer to this thing, there are still a bunch of other things that you can still research. You can learn something new every day! Everything that you are doing is learning! I feel like research just gives you that chance, the opportunity, to do everything that you want and learn along the way.

KZAC: In your opinion, what qualities make astronomy so unique and compelling?

SFB: The fact is that it is such a diverse field, it is not limited to just learning about a specific topic. It is about the whole Universe! There are countless things we can learn about. You can study stars, planets and so on, you can find something to learn about in each corner of the Universe. I feel like in astronomy you are always gaining knowledge, and at least to me, it puts in perspective the role we as humans play and where we belong in the Universe. 

KZAC: How do you feel other aspects of your life have impacted your view on STEM careers?

Surprise! 

Stefany has a twin who is also involved in science (in biology)!  

SFB: That’s a good question! Honestly, I’ve had a love for science since I can remember and that has always been reflected in my personal life. My older sisters are in other career paths than my twin and I, and I guess seeing their work life has made me more sure of my decision to have a STEM career. You know, throughout college, I’ve taken multiple humanities classes, where we discuss race, social constructs and other social aspects, and having participated in these classes has made me realize that in STEM, there is a big need to talk about social issues. It just seems that because there is always a focus on making new discoveries, we kinda forget that we are still a part of society and thus we should also be working to improve it. There is also a big lack of diversity in STEM careers! Something that I honestly hope we will continue to improve as we keep on moving forward.

KZAC: Tell us more about you, what do you do for fun?

SFB: I really enjoy binge watching shows! I love trying new foods, bicycling, and just exploring! I love camping because it allows me to be surrounded by only nature, and it reminds me how important it is to take care of the environment. I guess in a way my love for nature reminds me that despite loving the study of stars, other planets and galaxies, we humans still have earth to take care of, and we shouldn’t forget that!

KZAC: What advice would you give to high school and undergraduate students of color interested in following your path?

SFB: I think that I would like to tell them to not get discouraged by the obstacles they will have to face as a person of color. You know, we are such a small community in this field, and there will be times where people will tell you that you don't belong here. That is 100% untrue. You should be a part of this field, and you have nothing to prove to others because you deserve to be here as much as anyone else. I also think it is extremely important to find your own people, someone who can support you and give you the advice/help that you need. I would also tell them to not let fear stop you! Keep your head held high and go for whatever goal you want!

KZAC: A last message of Stefany for as a latina woman:

SFB: Be proud of your heritage and who you represent! Because just as you are inspired by other people that look like you, there will be others who will look up at you in inspiration! You should be proud of your background and all the hard work you’ve done! Because the hardships that we have had to overcome is what has shaped us to be the people we are today! And don't ever let other people diminish or take away that!

Stefany will present her research at the American Astronomical Society’s general meeting this January. She is also motivated to get a minor in computer science. Stefany looks for adventures in science and she is looking for a graduate program where she has never been before, perhaps in another country/city. She will love to be an astronomer, but with the vision to keep learning whatever she decides in her professional life! I am sure that we will hear amazing things about her and her research shortly.