Education
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PhD in Astrophysics, 2013, Arizona State University
- Predoctoral Fellowship, Lowell Observatory
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BS in Physics, 2007, University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Manga Cum Laude; Honors Diploma; Vice President, IEEE Robotics Club; Vice President, Space Hardware Club
PhD Dissertation
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Trans-Neptunian and Exosolar Satellites and Dust: Dynamics and Surface Effects
- Advisors: Steven Desch and William Grundy
- Micrometeorite impacts on icy satellites and KBOs can crystallize surface water ice. Dust particles ejected from Pluto's small satellites preferentially impact the retrograde side of Pluto. The mutual orbits of observed binary KBOs can be explained with Kozai perturbations from the Sun. A terrestrial planet dynamically captured as a satellite of a giant planet has a 50% chance of stabilizing.
Work and Interships
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Postdoctoral Researcher, Southwest Research Institute, Jan 2014 to present
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Predoctoral Fellow, Lowell Observatory, Feb 2010 to Jan 2014
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NASA Lunar Science Intern, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Jun 2009 to Aug 2009
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Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Aug 2007 to Feb 2010
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Space Grant Intern, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Jun 2006 to Aug 2006 and Jun 2007 to Aug 2007
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Laser Propulsion Research Assistant, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Feb 2005 to May 2006