Current group members at the University of Texas at San Antonio (2023-present):
Group photo at the 3rd Texas Area Planetary Science (TAPS) Meeting!
Mentored Students:
- Adis Husic (PhD student, Physics): Characterization of Titan haze analogs using a new experimental setup.
- Cindy Luu (PhD student, Physics): Understanding the nature of sub-Neptunes through geochemistry.
- Eric Austin (PhD student, Physics): Characterizing the physical properties of interstellar organics to understand planet formation and icy body thermal evolution.
- Elizabeth (Dare) Bartelt (PhD student, Physics): Measuring physical properties of exoplanet haze analogs in the lab.
- Ricardo Vega (Undergrad student, Physics): Comparative study of the mechanical properties of organics on Titan.
- Reggie Delaney (Undergrad student, Physics): Building a vacuum furnace system for exoplanet/Venus research.
- Kaylee Dobiyanski (Undergrad student, Physics): Comparative study of particle size distribution of aerosols on Titan.
Postdocs:
- Dr. Jose Raul Montes Bojorquez (2024-present): Characterizing the optical properties of Titan and exoplanet haze analogs.
- Dr. Sara Port (2024-present): Mineral-gas interactions in warm exoplanet atmospheres.
- Dr. Eito Hirai (2025-present): Experimental characterization of the physical properties of Titan and disk organics.
University of Texas at San Antonio (former group members, 2023-2024)
- Phillip Doubleday (UTSA undergrad, Physics): 3D printing of asteroid shape models.
- Mary Kelly (UTSA undergrad 25′, BS Physics): Archiving the optical constants of gas tholins.
- Allen (Boshu) Qiao (UTSA undergrad ’24, BS Physics): Expanding and archiving the Titan material database with the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS).
- Emran Ismail (UTSA undergrad ’24, BS Physics): Trends in exoplanet haziness with JWST. Emran is now a local high school Physics teacher.
- Charles Cordts (UTSA undergrad ’24, BS Physics): Flocculation of organic sediments in methane rivers on Titan. Charles is now a grad student at the University of Akron.
- Beauxregard Martinez (UTSA undergrad, Environmental Science): Flocculation of organic sediments in methane rivers on Titan.
- Eric Austin (UTSA undergrad ’24, BS Physics): Comparison study on the surface energies of Titan haze analogs. Eric is now a grad student at UTSA.
University of California Santa Cruz (former group members, 2019–2023)
- Ziyu Huang (University of Southern California PhD ’23, Aerospace Engineering): Identify surfaces on cool exoplanets. Ziyu is currently a postdoc at Georgia Tech.
- Erik White (UCSC undergrad ’23, BS EPS): Comparison study on the surface energies of Titan haze analogs & Flocculation experiments on Titan.
- Jolie Wolff (UCSC undergrad ’23, BS EPS): Deciphering the chemical composition of ice clouds on Titan.
- Vanessa Mendoza (UCSC undergrad ’23, BS EPS): Haze evolution on eccentric exoplanets. Vanessa is currently a grad student at Western Washington University.
- Jialin Li (UCSC undergrad ’22, BS physics, Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Award): Compari- son study on the surface energies of Titan haze analogs & Understanding the effect of surfaces on the compositions of exoplanet atmospheres. Jialin is currently a NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Arizona.
- Austin Dymont (UCSC undergrad ’22, BS physics, Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Award): Trends in haziness of temperate exoplanets & Decipher the nature of super-puffy exoplanets. Austin is currently a grad student at the University of Chicago.
- Ethan Romo (UCSC undergrad ’22, BS EPS): Comparison study on the mechanical properties of Titan haze analogs. Ethan is currently a technician at compatible electronics.
- Julia Garver (UCSC undergrad ’21, BS astrophysics): Cloud formation on Titan. Julia is currently an aerospace engineer.
- Taylor Duncan (UCSC undergrad ’21, BS EPS): Outgassing experiments of carbonaceous chon- drites. Taylor is currently a grad student at the University of Western Ontario.
- Yue (Yuna) Yu (UCSC undergrad ’20, BS EPS): Aerosol-Cloud-Lake Interactions on Titan. Yuna is currently a grad student at the University of Geneva.
- Kyle Kim (UCSC undergrad ’19, BS EPS): Outgassing experiments of carbonaceous chondrites. Kyle is currently a grad student at the University of Maryland.
- Connor Dickinson (UCSC undergrad, astrophysics): Interactive website for trends in exoplanet haziness.
- Abigale Hawthorn (UCSC undergrad, astrophysics): Interactive website for material properties of organics liquids, ices, and solids on Titan.
- Amaan Khwaja and Yash Rajpal (high-school students): Interactive website for trends in haziness of cool exoplanets.
- Francesca Tom (high-school student): Cloud formation on Titan.