Graduate Students List

2025

2024

B.S. Astrophysics, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2023
B.S, 2021, University of California, Los Angeles
M.S. Astronomy, 2024, University of Hawai'i
M.S. Electrical Engineering 2024, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
B.S. Mathematics 2019, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
B.S. Astrophysics 2019, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
B.S. Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Hilo, 2022
B.S. Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
B.A. Astronomy & Engineering, 2024, Smith College

2023

Zac Bailey Graduate Student

Yihan (Miranda) Kong Graduate Student

Derek Sikorski Graduate Student

B.S. Mathematics, 2023, Indiana University
B.S. Physics, 2023, Indiana University
Honors B.S. Astronomy, 2023, Indiana University

Zachary Werber Graduate Student

Yuchen (Elina) Zhang Graduate Student

M.S. 2022, University College London
B.S. 2021, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

2022

BS Physics (w/ concentration in astronomy and astrophysics), 2022, University of Delaware
B.S. Physics 2022, Rhodes College
M.S. Astronomy, 2024, University of Hawai'i
Ph.D. Topic: “Characterizing High-redshift Interactions within the Environments of the First Structures (CHIEFS)”
Committee: Dave Sanders & Roy Gal (Chair), Brian Lemaux (Gemini), David Jones, Kimberly Binsted

Willem Hoogendam NSF Graduate Research Fellow

B.S. Physics 2022, Calvin College
B.S. Mathematics 2022, Calvin College
Ph.D. Topic: “Rapid Observations of Infant Supernovae”
Committee: Ben Shappee (Chair), Chris Ashall, David Jones, Gene Magnier, Jelena Maricic, Tony Piro
Engineering - Institut d'Optique, Paris-Saclay University

Rena Lee NSF Graduate Research Fellow

M.S. Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
B.A. Astronomy (Honors), Vassar College
B.A. Cognitive Science, Vassar College
Ph.D. Topic: “Exploring Extreme Earths: Implications for Rocky Planet Formation”
Committee: Fei Dai (Chair), Daniel Huber, Michael Liu, Jennifer van Saders, Bin Chen
Graduate Student
B.S. Astrophysics 2021, Agnes Scott College
M.S. Astronomy 2025, University of Hawaii
B.A. Physics, 2022, Colby College

2021

Federica Chiti Graduate Student

BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics, 2021 University of Dundee
MS Astronomy, 2023, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Dhvanil Desai PhD Candidate

M.S. Astronomy, 2023, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
B.S. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2020, The Ohio State University
B.S. 2020, University of Washington
B.S. 2021, Cornell University
Ph.D. Topic: “Adaptive secondary mirror testing and development”
Committee: Michael Connelley (Chair), Mark Chun, Jonathan Williams, Olivier Guyon, Paul Lucey

Grey Murphree NSF Graduate Research Fellow

B.S. 2021, Rhodes College
M.S. 2023, UH Mānoa
Ph.D. Topic: “Constraining Structure Formation at High Redshift”
Committee: István Szapudi (Chair), David Sanders, David Rubin, Peter Sadowski, David Jones
BS Geophysics (highest honors)
BS Astrophysics (highest honors)
(magna cum laude)
University of California, Los Angeles, 2020
MS Astronomy
University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023
Ph.D. Topic: “Developments in Direct Imaging: Implementing Deformable Mirror Upgrade and Characterizing Protoplanetary Disks”
Committee: Michael Bottom, Jonathan Williams (Chair), Michael Liu, Colby Haggerty, Paul Lucey
MPhys Astrophysics 2021, University of Edinburgh

2020

Alexa Anderson Graduate Student

B.S. Astrophysics, 2020, Yale University
M.S. Astronomy, 2022, University of Hawai'i
Ph.D. Topic: “Looking Inward: M-band Spectroscopy of Protoplanetary Disks”
Committee: Jonathan Williams (Chair), Geoff Blake, Adwin Boogert, Gary Huss, Mike Liu

Sage Constantinou Graduate Student

Mitchell Dennis Graduate Student

B.S. Physics 2020, University of Kentucky
B.S. Computer Science 2020, University of Kentucky
B.S. Mathematics 2020, University of Kentucky

Kenji Emerson Graduate Student

Jonathan Lee Graduate Student

2018

Michael Nassir Graduate Student

Bryan Yamashiro Graduate Student

B.S. 2018, University of Hawaii

2017

James Ou Graduate Research Assistant

Ph.D. Topic: “Mass Distributions of Binary Asteroids in Main Belt Families”
Committee: Christoph Baranec (Chair), Bobby Bus, Rob Jedicke, Nader Haghighipour, Paul G. Lucey