Jodie K
- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at University of Wisconsin - Madison

Expertise

astronomy, physics, space sciences, observational astronomy, galaxies, star formation, special relativity, general relativity

Bio

Hi! My name is Jodie and I am a PhD Pre-Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I received my degree in astrophysics from UCLA, and have conducted research in space sciences and astrophysics. My current research is in observational astronomy consisting of multi-wavelength observations of active galactic nuclei (feeding black holes), but I am knowledgeable in many areas of physics and astronomy. A little bit about me, I love doing outdoorsy things like biking, hiking, and kayaking, and am an amateur nature photographer. I also love animals and just adopted a cat named Maui who is a handful but I love him. Besides that, I also love listening to new music and trying new foods, and hope to spend more time traveling to new places in the future. I am passionate about inspiring and teaching the next generation of scientists and am eager meet you and help you reach your full potential!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Fast Radio Bursts - what are they?

Fast radio bursts are a recently discovered high-energy phenomena that can release as much energy in a millisecond as the Sun puts out in three days. With this research project, you can learn about key astrophysical concepts such as neutron stars, mergers, basic plasma physics, radiation mechanisms, and the observational astronomy process. The research process would include a literature search to understand the recent, ground-breaking research being done in the field, and would result in a paper. The source of these objects is still unknown, and will continue to be studied heavily in upcoming years.

Coding skills

python

Teaching experience

I have privately tutored middle/high school math on subjects including pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry in both in-person and online settings for the past 3 years. I was also an undergraduate mentor for a year at UCLA where I guided a freshman in physics through course selection, extracurricular involvement, obtaining a research position, and preparing for graduate school.

Credentials

Education

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

BS Bachelor of Science (2024)

Astrophysics

University of Wisconsin - Madison

MS Master of Science candidate