Scholar Spotlight: Natalia Garza Navarro

The second TAURUS Scholar Spotlight of 2021 is all about Natalia Garza Navarro, hailing from Agnes Scott College.  She sat down with her mentor, Dr. David Wilson, to talk about science and her passions.

Natalia traces her interest in science to an early age. “I’ve always loved science museums,” she says. “When we went on family vacations I would have my mom take me to the science and history museums.” Taking science classes in high school and college deepened her interest in and knowledge of astronomy, both in class and whilst beginning to do research. “I had professors who really inspired me and made astronomy an engaging topic. As I got further into it I found I really liked the programming aspect as well.” 

For her TAURUS research, Natalia is searching for a mysterious type of hot, variable white dwarfs using data from the TESS spacecraft. “All my research projects so far have been short,” and she hasn’t been able to see the end result. For TAURUS, “I would love to work through a whole project, getting really good at one thing and doing it well”. Natalia has previously worked with radio telescope data, and enjoyed the challenge to learn new skills and push herself to produce useful science from the images. 

Whilst initially intending on pursuing a research career, Natalia has recently become interested in astronomy communication.  “When I started doing astro I thought going into research was the only path,” she says. “But last year I spent a week shadowing the astronomy director at the Fernbank Science Center, and I got to see a different aspect of working in science -- science outreach. Throughout high school I volunteered at the public library running early education programs, and loved that aspect of helping people learn.” Volunteering at the science center showed her that it was possible to combine that interest in education with scientific research.

“What I’d love to do is provide more opportunities for people from lower income backgrounds to have better access to science education.” Natalia considers herself lucky to have been able to study astronomy in high school, and sees the importance of science centers and museums to allow other people the same opportunities.  

Natalia is still interested in working in research initially, and plans to go to grad school for a PhD. “I’d like to have that experience, so that I can give younger students advice about the research route, and the difficulties I overcame going down that path.” 

Natalia will be presenting her research at the AAS winter meeting in January, so please come and see her if you are looking for a grad student! 

Scholar Spotlight: Carlos Garcia Diaz

Our first TAURUS Scholar Spotlight of the 2021 summer highlights Carlos Garcia Diaz. Carlos recently graduated with a major in Physics from the Delaware State University, and will be attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst as a graduate student in Astronomy this fall. Carlos is working with Prof. Karl Gebhardt in searching the HETDEX dataset for massive clusters of galaxies in the early universe. Below is a summary of a recent fun discussion between the two.

KG: What would be one of the most exciting results you could imagine from your research this summer?

CD: I would love to find a cluster of galaxies that is so massive in the early universe that it will challange dark matter models. Since these clusters are so young, it could test the ability of a massive structure to form. Just looking through the dataset so far has been fun. And take a look at a few of these interesting cases that I found already.

Right then, Carlos presented two examples of potentially massive clusters that he pulled out of the 0.6 million dataset. It is impressive and exciting. It just might be that already Carlos will need to increase the overall goal that he outlined!

KG: What is the most enjoyable aspect of research so far for you?

CD: Coding! I get so excited sometimes to get a piece of code to work properly that I will stay up late playing around with the code. I have spent many late nights doing this. It is so satisfying to finally get the plot first just to display, and second to match expectations. I look forward to continuing this work.

KG: What is the most difficult aspect of research so far for you?

CD: Having confidence in what you are doing, and specifically in comparison to everyone around you. Once you realize that everyone around is very intelligent, you begin to doubt your work and you cannot but help comparing your output to their output. What helps me to deal with this is knowing that everyone is basically in the same situation, and thinking the same way. Everyone also wants success for each other, especially in this program, and it is comforting to know that the support exists.

KG: What are some surprising positive aspects that you experienced over this past 1.5 years of COVID
insanity that we all went through?

CD: I learned how to be alone with myself and understand myself a bit more. As most of us experienced, my classes were all just me sitting in my room, and I did not interact with many people. This isolation can take a toll and you really begin to learn how to be content with yourself. I also started some new hobbies. I started hiking. One highlight was hiking down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up in one long day. Absolutely beautiful.

KG: Why did you choose the TAURUS program?

CD: I had wanted to be part of the TAURUS program for some time now, and was accepted for last summer's program that was cancelled. It's great to be here this summer. TAURUS is considered among the best programs for research, and it is one of the few available to DACA recipients.

KG: What one food item do you miss the most?

CD: My mother's ceviche! No one makes it like her. 

KG: What are some of the ultimate goals for you in research?

CD: I know it will be hard, but I would love to get a faculty position someday. I will put in as much as effort that is needed. I have to try my hardest.

When Carlos is not coding, he can be found playing pick-up soccer games in Zilker Park, even in the ridiculous heat of Austin. From the research he has done already, he is well on his way to finding some of the most interesting objects in the early universe. We are lucky and excited to have Carlos in the TAURUS family.

TAURUS 2021 Launch! Happy Juneteenth!!

It's been a LONNNNGG time since the last piece on the TAURUS blog, and so we're happy to start off a new summer and new year with a bang, celebrating this fantastic group of scholars on the first federally-recognized JUNETEENTH! The 2021 TAURUS Scholars are here, in person in Austin, and are already two weeks into their summer research projects.  Here's a photo of them all together in the PMA building!

The last post to this blog was just as we were wrapping up the 2019 program.  Little did we know we'd wait over a year to welcome the next class of TAURUS Scholars, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  COVID has been hard for everyone, but the impact on our undergraduate students is unique.  Four (or five, or six) years isn't very long to launch from high school at one end to college graduation on the other, dreaming about your long-term plans and career goals. COVID took out 1.5 years of really important time for this generation of students.  TAURUS made the difficult decision last spring to call off the 2020 program, because we just knew that conducting research remotely just wasn't the same as our in person program.  One of the primary goals of TAURUS is community building.  The bonds you make with other scholars, your mentors, and other connections just can't be reproduced over zoom.  So we postponed, crossing our fingers all year long that we could return in person for 2021.

Miraculously we're here, and we are so grateful for that.  Our 2020 class of TAURUS Scholars waited a long time to meet each other and start their projects; they were joined by several additional 2021 TAURUS Scholars to form the 2021 class -- our fifth cohort of TAURUS Scholars and the biggest group yet!

The road to an in-person program has been long and challenging, and this year's scholars are still faced with additional hurdles unique to their year -- they had to quarantine for a week in the residence halls and start the program on zoom, get a COVID PCR test on campus, and they have limited access to the kitchen due to safety restrictions (grr, we're working on it!).  On top of that they get to learn python, astrophysics, and how to work toward their own research goals.  But the most important thing is that they're here, they're working on amazing science projects, and they're an amazing group.  They are: 

Diana Gonzalez-Argueta, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, working with Prof. Caroline Morley

Rebeca Soto Armendariz, from Angelo State University working with Prof. Brendan Bowler

Carlos Garcia Diaz, from Delaware State University working with Prof. Karl Gebhardt

Imani Dindy, from Oklahoma State University working with Dr. Justin Spilker

Stefany Fabian Dubon, from Bryn Mawr College working with Prof. Danielle Berg and Dr. Karla Arellano-Córdova

Karina Kimani-Stewart, from Texas Tech University working with Dr. Michael Gully-Santiago and Prof. Caroline Morley

Amanda Lue, from Colgate University working with Dr. David Guszejnov and Prof. Stella Offner

Natalia Garza Navarro, from Agnes Scott College working with Dr. David Wilson

Mateo Guerra Toro, from Missouri State University working with Dr. Yifan Zhou

Mikayla Wilson, from Texas Christian University working with Dr. Ben Tofflemire

Over the next few weeks we'll be introducing them to you one by one so you get to know them better. Stay tuned!

And of course, this first post of the year is happening on an auspicious day -- Juneteenth, the day we celebrate when news of the end of slavery reached the state of Texas.  Even though it's finally and rightly now celebrated at a national level, Juneteenth has special meaning here in Texas, and especially in Austin where the first celebrations of the day were held in 1872.  Last year Juneteenth too was sadly only online, but today there's a parade in East Austin where the energy is palpable and jubilant.  Celebrate with family, friends, and take the opportunity to find and patronize Black-owned business near you!  Here's a great starting point for businesses in Austin.