Briley L. Lewis

Briley L. Lewis is an NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She completed her B.A. in Astrophysics at Columbia University (2018), followed by an M.S. in Astronomy & Astrophysics at UCLA (2020), and is set to graduate with a Ph.D. from UCLA in September 2024. Her research focuses on high-contrast imaging for exoplanets, debris disks, and solar system science, with expertise in infrared polarimetry and instrumentation.

Education History:

• B.A. in Astrophysics, Columbia University (2018)
• M.S. in Astronomy & Astrophysics, UCLA (2020)
• Ph.D. Candidate in Astronomy & Astrophysics, UCLA (Expected Graduation: September 2024)

Research Interests:

• Exoplanet formation and characterization
• Debris disk dynamics and composition
• Infrared polarimetry techniques
• Substellar companion detection using Gaia data
• Pluto's nitrogen ice distribution and solar system icy bodies

Key Achievements:

• NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023–present)
• NSF GRFP Fellowship (Graduate Studies)
• Lead author on multiple papers in Astronomical Journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, and Icarus

Teaching & Outreach:

• Instructor of record for UCLA's Freshman Cluster Program
• Member of the Astrobites collaboration, contributing to Scientific American and Space.com
• Advocate for accessibility in STEM education

Labs & Collaborations:

• Member of the Gemini Planet Imager collaboration
• Project lead for Keck-HGCA Accelerating Stars Survey
• Contributor to NASA's New Horizons mission analysis