Mentorship & Outreach
— Booker T. Washington
Training & Mentoring Initiatives
Workshop & Mentorship
Computational Astrophysics Research Preparation (CARP)
CARP is a training and mentoring program that I developed as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC San Diego to support community college students aiming to transfer to a four-year university and engage in undergraduate research. To date, three cohorts have completed the program, with many CARP scholars going on to transfer to four-year institutions and participate in competitive research and internship opportunities.
Nationwide Access
Computational Research Access NEtwork (CRANE)
CRANE is a virtual, nationwide data science training program led by a diverse team of graduate and postdoctoral researchers in physics and chemistry. CRANE addresses high barriers to entry in computational research that historically exclude underrepresented students.
As a CRANE leader, I develop curriculum materials, lead interactive workshops, and collaborate across institutions to:
- Provide a welcoming environment for historically underrepresented students to learn and gain confidence in computational physics.
- Equip students with fundamental computational tools and introduce advanced algorithms used in cutting-edge research.
- Facilitate meaningful academic and professional networking opportunities.
- Guide students taking their first steps toward careers in computational physics and data science.
Peer Mentorship
Physics & Astronomy Community Excellence (PACE)
PACE is a peer-mentoring program developed at UC Irvine by Dr. Arianna Long and Dr. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly that I co-led alongside Dr. Francisco J. Mercado.
The program provides structured mentorship to first-year graduate students through monthly professional development workshops and dedicated 1-on-1 mentoring to ease their transition into graduate school.
Community Outreach
Additional Training & Mentorship Contributions
Beyond leading CARP, CRANE, and PACE, I have also contributed to several other impactful teaching and mentoring initiatives:
- STARTAstro: A summer bridge program at UC San Diego that provides hands-on research opportunities and career development for California community college transfer students majoring in astronomy and physics.
- AstroReach SD: An educational outreach program at UC San Diego that introduces first-generation, college-bound high school students to data science and astrophysics through engaging lectures and hands-on Python coding exercises.
- CosmicTours: Portable planetarium program at UC San Diego that brings space science directly to K-12 classrooms across San Diego County.
Public Outreach & Lectures
Communicating astrophysics research to the public is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a scientist. I regularly deliver accessible lectures to promote scientific literacy and share the awe-inspiring beauty of the cosmos with the general public.
Cosmic Cold Case: What Caused the Untimely Demise of Galaxies in the Early Universe?
May 2026Invited lecture focused on unraveling the mysterious population of galaxies discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope that rapidly grew and shut down their star formation in the first 1 billion years of cosmic history.
The Growth of Cosmic Behemoths: Insights into the Earliest Stages of Galaxy Cluster Assembly
January 2026Invited talk for the Peninsula Astronomical Society Talk Series on galaxy cluster assembly and how future observatories, like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, will open a window into its earliest stages.
La Primera Generación de “Galaxias Apagadas”: ¿Cómo y Cuándo Dejaron de Formar Estrellas?
September 2025Public lecture delivered in Spanish for a general audience centered on when and how galaxies first lost their ability to form stars.
The Growth of Cosmic Behemoths: Insights into the Earliest Stages of Galaxy Cluster Assembly
July 2025Invited talk at the Open Air Music of the Spheres event at Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton.