YZ: Tell me about yourself: your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in astronomy/science?
MGT: I was born and raised in Ecuador. I started to grow an interest in physics and engineering when I was in high school. I enjoyed solving physics questions! Then, when I was seventeen, I moved to the US to study physics at Missouri State University. Over there, my friend introduced me to volunteer at the university observatory, where I learned to set up a 16-inch telescope for public viewing. I really love doing it! Through the volunteer work, I met my research advisor, Dr. Sarah Morrison, and started doing research about protoplanetary disks with her. This research work makes my interest in astronomy grow, so I decided to pursue a career in astronomy.
YZ: Wow, going abroad at the age of seventeen! That must be quite an adventure. Is there anything you find particularly challenging or enjoyable studying in the US?
MGT: English is what I find challenging. Although I've been learning English my whole life, I had never been to an English environment before coming to the US. So I had to overcome the language barrier. I make progress all the time.
YZ: Same thing for me. I am still learning English every day of my life. What about the enjoyable part?
MGT: The people surrounding me. They are very nice and make me happy. I enjoy hanging out with them, playing soccer, and watching movies together.
YZ: Let's talk about astronomy. What's in astronomy that you find the most compelling?
MGT: I am fascinated by cosmology, the evolution of the universe, and the formation and evolution of galaxies. I am also passionate about my research in protoplanetary disks and my current project about brown dwarfs.
YZ: Is there a moment in your research when you have felt really proud?
MGT: Yes! The moment I got my results from my protoplanetary disk simulations. In that project, I put together the simulations and arranged the setup files. I was learning the physics behind the simulation and programming at the same time, which was not easy. The simulation was about a disk around a late-M star. The graph I obtained showed that the simulation evolves into a multi-planet system that mimics the TRAPPIST-1 system. This was because the planets were trapped in a resonance chain. Seeing my simulation results match a real planetary system is very satisfying.
YZ: That's awesome! I can feel your passion for your research. What motivates you to apply to the TAURUS program?
MGT: As an international student, I have much fewer options. The NSF REUs typically don't accept international students. That's why I am very grateful to the TAURUS organizers, Caitlin and John, for giving me this opportunity. What I like the most about TAURUS program is that it is very well structured and organized. It includes summer research and encourages and supports us to go to the AAS meeting to present our research. These are super valuable for my career.
YZ: Speaking of career, where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
MGT: I want to be a professional astronomer and have a
research group. I want to use my knowledge and experience to help the scientific community grow.
YZ: Finally, if someone came to you for advice, what would you tell them?
MGT: pay attention to what you love. Don't be discouraged by other people, especially when they bring up "practical" issues. When I decided to study physics, I did not know there were so many opportunities. I learned about them as I worked hard for my research. So yeah, pay the most attention to what you love.
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