Research Interests
- Galaxy formation and evolution
- Chemical evolution, kinematics and stellar populations of galaxies at high redshift
- Feedback processes in starburst galaxies
- Gas ejection and accretion in high redshift galaxies
- Evolution of the intergalactic medium at high redshift
Employment
- Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Department of Physics, 2010 –
- Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin Madison Department of Astronomy, 2010 –
- Associate Editor, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 2013 -
- Spitzer Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California at Santa Barbara, 2008 – 2010
- CfA Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 2005 – 2008
Education
- Ph.D. Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, 2005
- Thesis Title: “The Properties of Star-Forming Galaxies at z ∼ 2: Kinematics, Stellar Populations, and Metallicities”
- Research Advisor: Professor Charles C. Steidel
- B.S. Physics, Summa Cum Laude, University of Washington, 2000
- B.S. Astronomy, Summa Cum Laude, University of Washington, 2000
Proposals and Grants
- National Science Foundation Early Career Award, 2013. $780K
- Hubble Space Telescope (Cycle 20, $18K; Cycle 19, PI, $92K; Cycle 18, $42K; Cycle 17, 15)
- Herschel Telescope (OT2, $10K)
- University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Research Grant Initiative, 2010 ($307K)
- Spitzer Space Telescope (DDT, GO7, GO3)
- Observing proposals: Keck Observatory, Subaru Observatory, Very Large Telescope, Magellan Observatory, Palomar Observatory (2005-2012)
Service and Outreach
- NOAO telescope allocation committee, 2012 - present
- Spitzer Space Telescope review panel, 2010, 2011 (panel chair)
- NASA Postdoctoral Program review, 2011, 2012
- NSF review panel, 2007, 2008, 2010
- Hubble Space Telescope review panel, 2006, 2010
- NRAO proposal review, 2007 – 2008
- Peer reviewer, 2004 – present: Nature, Science, The Astrophysical Journal, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, The Astronomical Journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
- Advisor, UWM Astronomy Club, 2010 – present
- Public lecture, Yerkes Observatory, 2012
- Milwaukee Astronomical Society presentation, 2012
- Presentation at James Madison High School, Milwaukee, 2012
Awards and Honors
- Spitzer Fellowship, 2008
- Center for Astrophysics Fellowship, 2005
- Holloway Fellowship, Caltech, 2001
- Baer Prize in Astronomy, University of Washington, 2000
- Higgs-Osborn Prize in Experimental Physics, University of Washington, 2000
Invited Conference Presentations
- "Gas Flows and Galaxy Formation." Plenary talk, 221st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Long Beach, CA, January 2013
- "Rising Star Formation Histories and the Evolution of the Mass-Metallicity Relation." Galaxies: Insight Out, Leiden, July 2012
- "Rising Star Formation Histories and the Evolution of the Mass-Metallicity Relation." Metals in Tuscany, Spineto, Italy, June 2012
- “Chemical Abundances in Star-Forming Galaxies at High Redshift.” International Astronomical Union Symposium 265, Rio de Janeiro, August 2009
- “Star Formation and Chemical Enrichment in the Youngest Galaxies.” SFR@50, Spineto, Italy, July 2009
- “The Mass-Dependent Spectral Properties of High Redshift Galaxies.” Napa Valley Galaxy Evolution Workshop, Napa, CA, February 2009
- “Galaxy Metallicity in the Redshift Desert.” Harvesting the Desert: The Universe Between Redshifts 1 and 3, Marseille, July 2009
- “Observing Distant Galaxies with the GMT.” Science with the Giant Magellan Telescope, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, March 2008
- “Gas Masses and Gas Fractions: Applications of the Kennicutt-Schmidt Law at High Redshift.” University of California San Diego Kennicutt-Schmidt Workshop, December 2006
- “Galactic Winds, Galaxy Masses and Metallicities at 1 < z < 3: An observational perspective.” Chemodynamics: From First Stars to Local Galaxies, Lyon, July 2006
Colloquia and Seminars
- University of Minnesota, April 2013
- University of Texas Austin, March 2013
- University of Wisconsin Madison, February 2013
- Cornell University, November 2012
- University of Notre Dame, March 2012
- Indiana University, November 2011
- Northwestern University, April 2010
- University of Wisconsin Madison, April 2010
- University of Chicago, October 2009
- Texas A&M University, September 2009
- University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, March 2009
- Princeton University, February 2009
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, October 2008
- Carnegie Observatories, March 2008
- Harvard University, March 2008
- Ohio State University, February 2008
- University of Utah, January 2008
- University of Michigan, January 2008
- University of California San Diego, January 2008
- Harvard University, February 2007
- Space Telescope Science Institute, February 2007
- University of California Los Angeles, February 2007
- University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK, July 2006
- University of California Santa Cruz, May 2006
- University of Toronto, February 2006