Research

Stellar Metallicities in Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies

As a graduate student in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, advised by Prof. Alexander Ji, I study the smallest galaxies in the universe.

My recent work focuses on the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Segue 1, using Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) spectroscopy to measure stellar metallicities and reconstruct its metallicity distribution function (MDF).

Currently, I am also contributing to the re-calibration of the Ca II triplet (CaT) and Ca II K (CaK) metallicity indicators, refining empirical relations that connect spectroscopic indices to [Fe/H].

I also have contributed to the analysis of the Milky Way satellite Ursa Major III/Unions 1, combining Pan-STARRS1 DR2 photometry and LRIS spectroscopy to determine metallicities for 12 member stars and place constraints on the system’s metallicity dispersion.

Senior Thesis — The Initial Mass Function of Early-Type Galaxies

At Princeton University, I investigated the initial mass function (IMF) of massive elliptical galaxies using spectroscopy from the MASSIVE Survey and molecular gas observations from ALMA, advised by Prof. Jenny Greene.

Star Formation Efficiency in Superthin Galaxies

As an International Internship Program (IIP) intern at Cardiff University in 2022, I worked with Dr. Timothy Davis to determine the star formation efficiency of 14 superthin spiral galaxies using ALMA CO(1–0) observations.

We found that these galaxies exhibit systematically lower efficiencies than typical spirals, supporting the theory that superthin galaxies are stabilized by compact dark matter halos.

NuMED for Children — Pediatric Cardiac Stent Design

Supported by the John C. Bogle ’51 Fellowship, I interned at NuMED for Children, Inc. in 2020, contributing to the development and testing of a new pediatric cardiac stent that later received FDA approval in 2021.