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Elizabeth Blanton is a Professor of Astronomy at Boston University's College of Arts & Sciences, where she serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies. Her research primarily focuses on high-energy astrophysics and observational astronomy, with emphasis on galaxy clusters, radio galaxies, and AGN feedback mechanisms. She utilizes multi-wavelength approaches including X-ray, optical, infrared, and radio observations. Education: Ph.D., Columbia University M.Phil., Columbia University M.A., Columbia University A.B., Vassar College Professor Blanton's research centers on clusters of galaxies, particularly studying the X-ray emission from the intracluster medium using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. She investigates how central radio sources powered by supermassive black holes interact with and heat the surrounding gas, which has important implications for galaxy formation and evolution. Her work also explores using radio sources as tracers for high-redshift galaxy clusters for cosmological studies. Her publication record shows consistent research on galaxy cluster dynamics, particularly focusing on phenomena like gas sloshing, shock waves, and cavities created by AGN feedback. The research spans multiple wavelengths with heavy emphasis on X-ray observations from the Chandra Observatory, complemented by optical, infrared, and radio data. Her work has significantly contributed to understanding how energy from supermassive black holes affects the evolution of galaxy clusters. Notable Press Coverage: "Abell 2052: A Galaxy Cluster Gets Sloshed" featured in BU Research Magazine 2012, Chandra press release, NASA press release, and National Geographic image of the week "NGC 5813: An Intergalactic Weather Map" covered in Chandra and NASA press releases "Cosmic Battle Creates Milky-Way Sized Tunnel" featured in Naval Research Lab press release "NGC 1553: Black Holes in Distant Galaxy Points to Wild Youth" covered in Chandra press release Professor Blanton teaches a range of astronomy courses from introductory to graduate level, including Principles of Astronomy II, Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics, Introduction to Astrophysics, and Observational Techniques. Her Observational Techniques course provides hands-on experience with telescopes at Boston University and Lowell Observatory in Arizona. She leads research within the Interdisciplinary Cosmology Group at Boston University, which includes members from the Departments of Astronomy, Physics, and Data Sciences. Her work on galaxy clusters and AGN feedback continues to advance our understanding of the formation and evolution of large-scale structures in the universe.

• High-energy astrophysics
• Optical and NIR observational astronomy
• Clusters of galaxies
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Abigail Polin is a theoretical and computational astrophysicist and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Purdue University. Her research focuses on astrophysical transients, particularly Type Ia supernovae and stellar explosions. She utilizes hydrodynamical simulations and radiative transport calculations to bridge theory with observational data. Polin holds a PhD from UC Berkeley (2020), where she worked under Peter Nugent and Dan Kasen, and previously served as a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Observatories and Caltech. Her work has been recognized with the NERSC Early Career Award (2025) for modeling sub-Chandrasekhar mass Type Ia supernovae. Polin's research spans observational astronomy, numerical modeling, and instrument design, including proposals for CubeSat missions like UVIa to study ultraviolet signatures of supernovae. She collaborates extensively with international teams on projects like the Carnegie Supernova Project-II and Zwicky Transient Facility surveys. Key research themes include: Explosion mechanisms for calcium-rich transients and Iax/Ia supernovae Stellar progenitor systems and detonation processes Anisotropy studies in supernova remnants Multi-wavelength observations using JWST and ground-based facilities Her recent work emphasizes late-time NIR spectroscopy, forbidden line emission analysis, and the connection between theoretical models and observational data from transient surveys. Polin actively participates in transient classification efforts like POISE and contributes to both observational campaigns and numerical simulation frameworks.

• Astrophysical Transients
• Stellar Explosions
• Type Ia Supernovae
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Elisabeth Newton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College, where she leads a research group focused on stellar and exoplanet astrophysics. She holds a B.S. from the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her research utilizes ground-based observatories (e.g., SALT, MDM) and space telescopes (e.g., TESS) to study stellar magnetic dynamos, exoplanet formation, and Galactic populations. Her work spans stellar rotation-activity relationships, M dwarf characterization, and the discovery of young exoplanets through the THYME collaboration, where she serves as co-PI. Research interests include: Physics of stellar magnetic fields and angular momentum evolution Formation and atmospheric evolution of exoplanets around young stars Dynamics of stellar populations in the Milky Way Her publications emphasize young planetary systems, stellar activity in low-mass stars, and spectroscopic methods. Recent work explores exoplanet atmospheric escape, cluster age dating, and multi-planet system dynamics, often leveraging large surveys and machine learning techniques. Group members have received recognition including: LSST Data Science Fellowship (Rayna Rampalli, 2022) AAS International Travel Grant (Keighley Rockcliffe) Christopher Reed Science Competition 3rd Place (Jack Duranceau) She mentors undergraduates through senior theses and advises graduate students on projects involving exoplanet detection, stellar spectroscopy, and Galactic archaeology. Research is supported by NASA TESS grants and collaborative programs. The Newton Lab develops open-source tools for spectral analysis (e.g., nirew for equivalent widths) and coordinates the THYME collaboration, which combines multi-observatory data to study planetary system evolution.

• observational astronomy
• stellar astrophysics
• exoplanets
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Jacob Isbell is a Researcher at the Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, where he joined in January 2024 to collaborate with Dr. Steve Ertel on developing and supporting LBT Interferometric observations. His research focuses on active galactic nuclei (AGN) dynamics at sub-parsec scales, particularly exploring the interplay between AGN and their host galaxies using dust emission to trace gas inflows and outflows. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg in 2022, where his work with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy involved studying nearby AGN using the VLTI/MATISSE instrument for subparsec-scale imaging. Jacob’s research interests include optical/NIR interferometry, black hole-host galaxy connections, and galaxy evolution. He is currently engaged in advancing observational techniques to understand AGN feedback mechanisms and their role in cosmic structure formation. His academic background includes postdoctoral and collaborative efforts at leading institutions, contributing to the development of interferometric tools for high-resolution astrophysical studies.

• Active galactic nuclei
• optical/NIR interferometry
• black hole/host connection
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Peter J. Brown is a Research Associate Professor at the Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University. His research focuses on ultraviolet observations of supernovae, particularly using the Swift spacecraft's UVOT telescope. He leads the NASA-funded Swift Optical Ultraviolet Supernova Archive (SOUSA), a database of over 600 supernovae. His work explores host galaxy properties, progenitor systems, and the use of Type Ia supernovae as cosmological distance probes. He has secured over $1.1M in grants as Principal Investigator for Swift and Hubble programs, and collaborates globally on projects like the Global Supernova Project. He mentors students through the AggieNova research team, emphasizing undergraduate involvement in cutting-edge astrophysics. Affiliations: Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics & Astronomy (Texas A&M) Key projects: SOUSA Archive, UVIa CubeSat mission concept Research interests span supernova classification, cosmic distance measurement, dark energy, and data-intensive computation. His work combines observational data from space telescopes with advanced modeling to understand explosion mechanisms and circumstellar environments. Recent studies include molecular/dust formation in supernovae and shock breakout dynamics. Publications highlight ultraviolet spectral analysis, quantum entanglement applications in astrophysics, and late-time observations with JWST. His team's work bridges observational astronomy with theoretical models to advance cosmology and stellar evolution studies.

• Supernova Astronomy
• Cosmic Distance Scale
• Dark Energy
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Susan Redmond is a Research Fellow at the California Institute of Technology's Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, Department of Astronomy. Her work focuses on advancing observational astronomy through innovations in high-contrast imaging systems and balloon-borne telescopes. Key projects include the High-Contrast Imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HiCAT) and the Super Pressure Balloon-borne Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT), which enable exoplanet detection and diffraction-limited astronomical imaging from stratospheric platforms. She specializes in wavefront control algorithms, coronagraph design, and instrument validation for space and suborbital missions. Her research addresses challenges in maintaining dark zones for exoplanet imaging, optimizing segmented aperture systems, and developing broadband scalar vortex coronagraphs. Contributions span theoretical parameter studies, experimental testbed demonstrations, and flight data analysis from missions like SuperBIT and Spider. Collaborative efforts emphasize translating balloon-borne technology to next-generation space telescopes such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Notable achievements include system-level validations of coronagraph performance on HiCAT and pioneering stratospheric balloon missions achieving near-space conditions. Her work bridges instrumentation development with observational strategies, ensuring cutting-edge tools for future exoplanet and cosmology missions.

• Astrophysics
• Exoplanet Detection
• High-Contrast Imaging
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David Radice is an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Astrophysics at The Pennsylvania State University, affiliated with the Eberly College of Science. His research focuses on extreme astrophysical events such as compact binary mergers and core-collapse supernovae, employing high-performance computing simulations. He leads the development of numerical relativity codes like WhiskyTHC and GRAthena++, and his work bridges gravitational wave and electromagnetic observations to study dense matter physics and nuclear properties. Education: PhD in Gravitational Wave Astronomy from Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (2013), Master's and Bachelor's in Mathematical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano. Research Interests: Neutron star mergers, gravitational waves, numerical relativity, core-collapse supernovae, and computational astrophysics. His studies address fundamental questions like the nature of matter at extreme densities, origins of heavy elements, and black hole formation dynamics. Recent Work: Radice’s publications analyze gravitational wave signatures from mergers, neutrino transport effects, and kilonova ejecta. He explores QCD phase transitions and equation of state constraints via multimessenger data. His 2025 study on gamma-ray bursts linked to neutron star mergers highlights nuclear physics implications. Awards: APS Outstanding Referee (2025), Henry W. Knerr Early Career Professor (2025), Sloan Fellowship (2022). He has secured over $15M in grants for projects like Exascale Simulations of Neutron Star Mergers and the WoU-MMA initiative. Advising & Mentorship: Supervises postdocs such as Maitraya Bhattacharyya and Rossella Gamba. His lab focuses on developing computational tools for astrophysical simulations and interpreting observational data.

• Astrophysics
• Gravitational Waves
• High-Performance Computing
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Paolo Coppi is a Professor of Astronomy at Yale University, affiliated with the Department of Physics and the Department of Astronomy. His primary research focuses on astrophysics and cosmology, particularly high-energy plasma processes, black hole dynamics, and extragalactic surveys. He leads major projects like the La Silla-QUEST Variability Survey and contributes to instruments like the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and the High Energy X-ray Probe (HEX-P). Education : Ph.D. in Physics from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), 1990. Research Interests : - Relativistic astrophysical jets and their instabilities - Black hole mergers and accretion physics - Gamma-ray astronomy and particle acceleration mechanisms - Galactic structure and halo dynamics via RR Lyrae stars - Development of advanced detectors like LArTPC for antimatter studies Key Projects : La Silla-QUEST Survey: Mapping galactic structure and AGN variability CTA: World’s largest VHE gamma-ray observatory HEX-P: Probing BH spin and jet dynamics via X-ray spectroscopy GRAMS: Stratospheric balloon experiments for antimatter detection Labs/Teams : Active in CTA consortium, HEX-P mission design, and Yale’s astrophysical instrumentation groups.

• Astrophysics
• Cosmology
• High-Energy Astrophysics
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Aurelien Fraisse is a Research Scholar and Lecturer at Princeton University's Department of Physics, contributing to cosmology and astrophysics research. His work focuses on cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations using balloon-borne instruments like SPIDER and SuperBIT, gravitational lensing studies, and instrumental developments for high-altitude platforms. Office: Jadwin Hall 221 Email: afraisse@princeton.edu Key research interests include CMB polarimetry, weak gravitational lensing, galactic dust composition, and the design of stratospheric observatories. Fraisse has led contributions to the SPIDER and CMB-S4 projects, advancing instrumentation for detecting primordial gravitational waves and characterizing cosmic foregrounds. His recent work emphasizes improving data retrieval from high-altitude balloons and optimizing observational strategies for suborbital telescopes. Publications span technical advancements (e.g., TES arrays, in-flight monitoring) and cosmological analyses using Planck and SPIDER datasets. Research collaborations include the SuperBIT telescope (commissioned in 2019), enabling diffraction-limited visible-to-near-UV imaging from stratospheric balloons, and refining CMB power spectrum estimation methods for future surveys.

• Cosmology
• Astrophysics
• Gravitational Lensing
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Tabetha Boyajian is an Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Louisiana State University (LSU), within the College of Science and the Department of Physics & Astronomy. Her research focuses on observational astrophysics, particularly stellar properties and exoplanet detection. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Astronomy, Georgia State University, 2009 Dr. Boyajian's research spans fundamental stellar astrophysics , with emphasis on stellar diameters, temperatures, and exoplanet characterization . She employs optical/IR interferometry , stellar spectroscopy , and absolute spectrophotometry to investigate binary systems, stellar evolution, and asteroseismology, contributing significantly to our understanding of stellar parameters. Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a strategic shift toward lunar-based observatories , with MoonLITE and LUSTER programs pioneering high-resolution interferometry from the Moon. These initiatives target exoplanet atmospheric characterization and precision stellar imaging , leveraging the lunar environment to overcome Earth-based observational limitations. Dr. Boyajian remains actively engaged with the Planet Hunters citizen science project and utilizes the CHARA Array for high-angular-resolution observations, maintaining her leadership in both established and emerging astronomical methodologies.

• Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Exoplanet Detection and Characterization
• Stellar Properties (diameters, temperatures)
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Thomas Connor is an astrophysicist at the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC) within the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Previously, he served as a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/Caltech, focusing on extreme AGN in the early Universe and operations at the NuSTAR Science Operations Center. He also held postdoctoral positions at the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, studying galaxy clusters and their connections to the cosmic web. His research integrates multi-wavelength observations (X-ray, UV, optical, NIR) to explore cosmic structure evolution from the Big Bang onward. Education: B.S. from Case Western Reserve University (2011), M.S. (2013), and Ph.D. in Astronomy (2016) from Michigan State University under advisor Megan Donahue. His thesis used Hubble Space Telescope, XMM-Newton, and SOAR data to study galaxy clusters. Research Interests: Distant quasars, early Universe AGN, galaxy cluster evolution, cosmic web interactions, and multi-wavelength observational techniques. Notable work includes detecting X-ray emission from z~6 quasars and breaking redshift records for radio-loud quasars. Grants & Observatories: Extensive experience with Hubble, Chandra, XMM-Newton, Gemini, Keck, Magellan, and SOAR. Awarded telescope time on these facilities for AGN and cluster studies. Current focus includes JWST and NuSTAR investigations of high-redshift quasars. Labs/Teams: Active in the Chandra X-ray Center, NuSTAR SOC, Carnegie Observatories, and collaborations like MaDCoWS (Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey). Leads efforts to analyze cosmic structures using cutting-edge instrumentation.

• Astrophysics
• Cosmology
• Galaxy Evolution
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Prof. Darren DePoy holds the Rachal/Mitchell/Heep Professorship in Physics at Texas A&M University's Department of Physics and Astronomy, part of the College of Science. He leads the Astronomical Instrumentation Lab and serves as project scientist for the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) installed at the Cerro Tololo 4m telescope. His work focuses on advancing optical instrumentation for ground-based telescopes, including projects like HETDEX and the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE). Affiliated with the Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics & Astronomy, his research spans dark energy studies, exoplanet atmospheric characterization, and precision calibration techniques for large-scale spectroscopic surveys. Recent contributions include developing the Exoplanet Transmission Spectroscopy Imager (ETSI) for rapid exoplanet atmosphere analysis and advancing reflectivity measurement standards for telescope baffling materials. His instrumentation innovations support major facilities like the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and future ELT instruments.

• Astronomical Instrumentation
• Dark Energy Studies
• Exoplanet Atmospheres
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