TAURUS Scholar Spotlight: Malik Bossett

Malik Bossett joins us from Northern Arizona University as a rising senior majoring in Astronomy. He is working with Dr. Zhoujian Zhang this summer to characterize the cloud properties of giant planets and brown dwarfs in the solar neighborhood by comparing these objects’ spectra to model atmospheres. Zhoujian recently sat down with Malik to learn more about his background, interests, and future plans.

ZZ: Could you tell us more about your story?

MB: I am from San Francisco, California. The initial spark of my interest in astrophysics came from a young age, as I was particularly intrigued by the exhibit about our solar system when my father took me to the California Academy of Sciences. I started reading books and watching shows related to astronomy since then. As I was in high school, I got selected into an internship program at the California Academy of Sciences! I was excited to gain experience in public speaking, science communication, and general research, and learn how to collaborate with other people on research projects. Then after entering Northern Arizona University, I started working at the Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930. This place is also where I gained more science communication experience and hope to get more connections to research opportunities. I am now about to finish my bachelor's degree and am considering applying for graduate school this year.

ZZ: I know you are very proactive and passionate about the astronomy research. Could you tell us something about your previous research experience?

MB: Prior to the TAURUS program, I attended two REU programs. The first one was online during the summer of 2020 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I analyzed the surface brightness of galaxies. The second one was at UC Berkeley in the summer of 2021, as a part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program. My project was to use stellar spectra to search for potential techno-signatures. At my home institute, I have been conducting a research project that utilizes data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to hunt for transiting exoplanets. It is really exciting that I presented this research in the International Astronautical Congress 2021 in Dubai last year!

ZZ: Awesome! I wonder what is the most interesting and exciting thing you find about astronomy?

MB: I like astronomy because it has endless possibilities. No matter how far into the future humanity survives, we will always be studying astronomy because it is one of those things that are potentially infinite. Astronomy is also a way to bring us perspective. If there is nowhere else that life can flourish outside our solar system, then as one of Earth's species, we should really take care of our planet.

ZZ: How is your experience over the past few weeks in the TAURUS program?

MB: This is a great program and the pacing is good. I enjoyed my visit to the McDonald observatory a few weeks ago and learned how the telescope works to get spectroscopic data. It was nice to get myself refreshed about the astronomical terms and equations through all the talks in the program. It is also good that the program provides housing!

ZZ: What do you think is the biggest challenge that you have experienced?

MB: The biggest challenge is to balance research and school. Over the freshman and sophomore years, I was able to work on my college research for a good while. However, during my junior year, the majority of my focus was on school coursework, so I did not have a chance to do as much research that year as I wish I should have. I also had to balance school and my science communication work at the Lowell Observatory. Now my goal for the senior year is to produce more progress on the research conducted in the TAURUS program and at my home institute.

ZZ: How do you like Austin so far? Did you get a chance to explore the city during the summer?

MB: Everything about the city is great except for the heat. I like the live music here and now I can see why Austin is the live music capital of the world! The bat watching is great too.

ZZ: I agree! What do you usually do when not studying or working?

MB: I like camping, hiking, and traveling. I also did a couple of road trips inside the country. Photography is also one of my big hobbies.

ZZ: What are your plans for the future?

MB: I do want to become a professional astronomer specializing in exoplanets. I hope to become a member of the exoplanet search team that uses ground-based or space-based telescopes to find exoplanets using different methods. I am interested in studying their composition, mass, size, density, and basically all characteristics to figure out whether the planets are habitable or not.