About me
“I... a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe.” ― Richard P. Feynman
Dr. Devontae C. Baxter – The Skateboarding Astrophysicist
Hello! I'm Devontae (Tae) Baxter, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. My passion for science, mathematics, and skateboarding ignited during my teenage years and has been with me ever since.
Before aspiring to become an astrophysicist, my dream was to travel the globe as a professional skateboarder. Although that dream didn't materialize, I'm fortunate to now utilize some of the most remarkable telescopes ever engineered, allowing me to explore the Universe's wonders while still finding time for skateboarding.
So, how did I reach this point? Well, after graduating from Stockbridge High School in 2011, I embarked on a gap year of self-discovery, mostly filled with working and frequenting my local library. During this time, I immersed myself in books by renowned science popularizers like Carl Sagan, Michio Kaku, Brian Cox, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. It was then that I realized my calling—to dedicate my life to enhancing humanity's knowledge of the cosmos.
In 2012, facing financial constraints that limited my options for a traditional 4-year college, I officially began my academic journey at what is now Georgia State University: Perimeter College, formerly known as Georgia Perimeter Community College.
In 2015, I transferred to the prestigious Georgia Institute Technology (Tech), graduating with highest honors in 2017 with a B.S. in Physics and a minor in Spanish. Throughout my time at Tech, I earned accolades such as the Georgia Hope and AMC Cares Scholarships for exceptional academic performance and community service.
After graduating from Tech, I embarked on my doctoral journey at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Throughout my tenure at UCI, I served as a Eugene Cota-Robles, National Osterbrook Leadership (NOLP) Program and LSSTC Data Science Fellowship Program (DSFP) Fellow, while also conducting exciting research in galaxy evolution under the guidance of Professor Michael C. Cooper. In 2023, I proudly earned my PhD in Physics, with my dissertation focusing on inferring the drivers of environmental quenching in galaxy groups and clusters through a combination of modeling and supervised machine learning.
Currently, I hold the dual positions of NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics and UC Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, San Diego. My ongoing research interests center on understanding the redshift and halo mass dependence of environmental quenching, and exploring the role that protocluster environments play in shaping galaxy properties.
Beyond my research, I am deeply invested in teaching, mentorship, and outreach. I am currently leading the Computational Astrophysics Research Preparation (CARP) program. This initiative involves hosting coding and mentorship workshops tailored for aspiring community college transfer students, aiming to equip them with programming skills and relevant mentorship for a smooth transition to a four-year institution.
Outside of work, I find joy in rediscovering the beauty of existence through my daughter's eyes. Some of my interests include skateboarding (of course), continuously expanding my horizons by learning new languages, hiking, reading, and watching my favorite animes.