TAURUS Scholar Spotlight: Cayden Kirkpatrick

Cayden Kirkpatrick joins the TAURUS program from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is double majoring in astronomy-physics and history as a rising junior. Cayden is working with Dr. Dominique Segura-Cox and Professor Stellar Offner this summer to measure the masses of some of the youngest protostars by studying how material in their surrounding disks rotate with ALMA data. Dominique recently sat down with Cayden to learn more about his background and interests.

DMS: Where did you join us from? Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

CK: I’m currently a rising junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I also grew up in Madison. I’m majoring in astronomy-physics and history, and I’m working on two minors in French and American Indian Studies. I took an interest in space and astronomy from a young age, which has only grown over time. Since middle school, I’ve been studying astronomy extracurricularly, especially through Science Olympiad events.

DMS: Astrophysics and history is an unusual combination. What about history interests you?

CK:  There’s something intrinsically cool to me about analyzing what happened in the past, but what’s most interesting is learning from the past and how the past can impact present day events. I think of history as a good tool to investigate the world around us, similar to a scientific investigation. There’s a lot of history that’s really under-studied, especially in terms of Native American history, which is what I concentrate on.

DMS: You must be really busy on campus with so many classes! What other activities are you involved in at the University of Wisconsin-Madison?

CK:  I’m involved in a number of clubs, including the astronomy club on campus. I’m in a choir and do intramural sports. Mostly, I spend my extra time working with Native American student organizations. I’m an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and I’ve always enjoyed participating in cultural events and learning about my heritage. That’s partially why I’m interested in history. I’m currently learning the Choctaw language through a summer course, which will also count towards my American Indian Studies minor.

DMS: What are the Native American student organizations you’re involved in?

CK: There’s a social/community organization, Wunk Sheek, and I’m on a multi-college advisory board that helps make college life inclusive for Native American students. I’m also involved in AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society), which I serve as the vice president of.  I’m transitioning to be the AISES president in the fall. I’ve also attended nation-wide AISES conferences, and at this fall’s National Conference I’m going to co-host a session called “Indigenizing STEM,” which will focus on ways to make STEM career paths more accessible and open for Native American youth.

DMS: What made you interested in joining the TAURUS program this summer?

CK:  I haven’t been involved in research at my home institution, and I wanted a chance to dedicate myself to research over the summer. When I was looking for programs I really appreciated how the TAURUS program fostered a sense of community and was really supportive of students, more than standard REU programs. I had more than one option for research over the summer, and in the end I also really liked the research topic that was proposed to me through TAURUS.

DMS: What excites you most about doing research?

CK: The idea that I’m looking at something novel, that no one else has done this before, that I’m contributing to the greater field of astronomy. Actively doing research is a great contrast to classes, where we learn about what other people have done. I like the independence of research and being able to explore and try out my own ideas. I like the potential of discovering something unexpected, since the results aren’t predetermined like they are with homework.

DMS: Tell me about what you do for fun. Do you have any hobbies?

CK: I do a lot of geocaching, which is using GPS to hunt for hidden notes or little treasure boxes at specific coordinates. I like to hike and explore new areas. I also really love to travel.

DMS: Where do you like to travel, and where do you most want to visit that you haven’t seen yet?

CK: I like traveling to more obscure, unseen places. Big cities are fun too, but I like smaller places that have unique things that they’re known for or that have historical significance. I’m doing study abroad next spring in France, which I haven’t been to yet, and I’m really excited. In the future I just want to explore other places new to me.