I am an observational and theoretical astrophysicist. I focus on optical surveys, the transient universe, Type Ia supernovae progenitors, extreme supermassive blackhole accretion (changing-look AGN, tidal disruption events), explosive transients, and variable objects. I often joke that I am an “Astronomical cat”, because if it moves, blinks or twinkles I am interested in it.

I am involved in many observational projects, but most notably, I am a founding member of the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae(ASAS-SN or “assassin”). This is the first survey to scan the entire sky for transient objects in real-time and is currently the leading discoverer of Supernovae brighter than 17th magnitude. I am PI of the Spectroscopic Classification of Astronomical Transients (SCAT) Survey using the UH88″ telescope and ANU 2.3m telescope (with collaborator Katie Auchettl) which is the 2nd most prolific transient classification survey even though we are mostly a small group with mostly students and postdocs. Finally, I am co-PI of the Hawaii Supernova Flows project, the largest near-IR survey for Type Ia supernovae yet using the UH-owned UKIRT telescope.

Recent Press Releases:

• UH astronomers discover the biggest explosion since the Big Bang (UHawaii)
• Biggest Boom Since the Big Bang: Hawaiʻi-Based Astronomers Uncover the Most Energetic Explosions In The Universe Yet Discovered (Keck)
• 3 Black Holes Caught Eating Massive Stars in NASA Data (NASA)
• UH astronomers uncover risks to planets that could host life
• Star ripped apart by black hole in rare discovery
• NASA Missions Help Investigate an ‘Old Faithful’ Active Galaxy
• Black hole shreds star, UH astronomer on discovery team
• Newly discovered supernova may rewrite exploding star origin theories Hawaiʻi telescopes help unravel long-standing cosmic mystery
• Hawaiʻi telescopes help unravel long-standing cosmic mystery
• A new era of astronomy begins with first observation of neutron star merger
• Milky Way’s “most-mysterious star” continues to confound
• Supernova-hunting team finds comet with aid of amateur astronomer
• Discovery: Most-Luminous Ever Supernova

Current Postdocs:
Dan Hey

Current Graduate Students:
Willem Hoogendam
Dhvanil Desai
Jason Hinkle

Current Undergraduate Students:
Grace Showerman
Logan Wilson
Athena Engholm
Atlas Quarles

Previous Postdocs:
Chris Ashall
Thomas de Jaeger
Thales A. Gutcke (Hubble Fellow)

Previous Grad Students:
Aaron Do
Kyle Hart
Anna Payne
Michael Tucker

Previous Undergrad Students:

Athena Engholm (UH ->UIUC; Co-advised with Jason Hinkle); Tidal Distruption Events 1/2024-7/2025
Ashley Tarrant (UH REU ->UC Boulder; Co-advised with Jason Hinkle); SGN variability 3/2023-5/2025
Allison Blum (UH REU ->UH; Co-advised with Jason Hinkle); Tidal Distruption Events 3/2024-3/2025
Vera Berger (UH REU -> MIT); UV Stellar Flares 3/2022-10/2024
Ella Roselli (UH REU -> GSU; Co-advised w/ Dan Hey); RG distances 3/2023-3/2024
Keaton Donaghue (UH REU -> UMaryland; Co-advised with Thales Gutcke); 3/2023-1/2024
Helena Treiber (UH REU -> Princeton); AGN in TESS 3/2021-6/2023
Michael Bolish (UH REU); AGN in ASAS-SN 3/2022-7/2022
Willem Hoogendam (UH REU -> UH); Interesting 91bg-like SNe Ia 3/2021-4/2022
Jesse Zeldes (UH REU); ASAS-SN M-dwarfs in K2 and TESS 6/2020-12/2021
Anna Gardner (UH); Infrared-excess White Dwarfs 3/2021-4/2022
Liam Dubay (UH -> Ohio State); SNe Ia-CSMs in GALEX 6/2020-6/2021
John Bredall (UH -> Ohio State); Young Stellar Objects 9/2018-8/2020
Erica Sawczynec (UH -> UT Austin ); Changing-look AGN 8/2018-5/2019
Dominick Rowan (UH REU -> OSU); WDs in GALEX 6/2018-5/2019
A.~Bianca Davis (OSU -> OSU PhD.); CVs 4/2014-10/2016
Jacob E.~Jencson (OSU -> CalTech -> UArizona -> JHU); Supernovae 2/2012-6/2014