Lulu Agazie

Pratyusava Baral

“ I started graduate school at UWM in 2020, and my research is focused on studying pulsars. I first got involved in pulsar research as an undergraduate at West Virginia University, where I had the opportunity to learn how to take and analyze data on the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. My hobbies include biking, playing the harp, and hiking. ”

“ I was always interested in knowing why and how things work since my childhood. In high school, I was more attracted to physics over other sciences because it dealt with the simplest systems and yet it can be very powerful. Just after I joined an undergraduate program in physics in India, the news of the first gravitational wave being detected broke out. The fact that we can detect something so tiny fascinated me and started digging into it. This brought me to the graduate program in University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and have been currently on gravitational wave cosmology. In my spare time I like to experiment with cooking, go on walks, watch cricket, or think about random things! ”

Amanda Baylor

Ian Brown

“ I fell in love with physics my senior year of high school and had a strong desire to investigate distant phenomena in our universe. I then began my studies in optical astronomy at Dickinson College, researching binary star systems and astrophysical spectra. In 2019 I traveled to Australia to perform research in gravitational wave astrophysics, which I continue to do after joining the PhD program at UWM in 2020. When I’m not searching for black holes and neutron stars, I enjoy running by the lake, reading, and caring for my house plants. ”

“ I have been interested in science for as long as I can remember. I grew up outside of a town with a population of about 500 people so I always had great views of the stars on clear nights. I was also lucky enough to have parents who encouraged my curiosity and showed me the stars and constellations. I naturally became curious and wanted to know about what I saw. I decided to make a career out of my curiosity and came to UWM in 2016 where I have been researching fast radio bursts. When time permits, I still like to go camping out away from the city lights to see a meteor shower or just admire the beautiful complexity of the cosmos. ”

Cory Chu

Gabe Freedman

“ I'm Cory from Taiwan. My research interests include Gravitational Wave Physics and Cosmology. Besides, I'm a Blogger 📝 and a Filmmaker 🎥. You are welcome to check out my YouTube Channel and my Blog 😬 ”

“ I look at space as the final frontier, the last great unknown for us to venture into and explore. I believe that studying the world beyond our planet and beyond our solar system can help us better understand and appreciate our place here on Earth. I joined the PhD program at UWM in 2019, and my research focuses on searching for low frequency gravitational waves using pulsar timing arrays. Specifically I look into modern computational methods for performing these searches and making the analyses tractable. Outside of my studies, I’m a lifelong pianist and avid tennis player. And a big Yankees fan.”

Ronan Humphrey

Alex McEwen

“ I’ve always loved science and science fiction; I did my undergrad at DePaul University in Chicago where I chose to major in physics in order to get a little closer to my childhood dream of working on the Starship Enterprise. I am now a PhD student at UWM. I study computational astrophysics, performing simulations of events such as tidal disruptions and supernovae. Outside of physics, I like baking bread, sewing, and playing video games. ”

“ Growing up in a small Appalachian town in western Maryland, I spent many nights outside with my brothers listening to dad name all of the constellations. As I grew older, I developed an interest in understanding things - and the more I understood, the more I realized there was to learn! I started my astronomy career partway through an engineering internship when I was given a telescope for my birthday and decided to change my major to physics. I started studying pulsars - neutron stars that rotate at incredible rates and emit radio waves - as soon as I returned to school, and I haven't stopped yet. Outside of school/work life, I spend a lot of my time making music, woodworking, biking, swimming, and camping.”

Sarah Villanova Borges

Tamal RoyChowdhury

“ When I was a kid, I read an article in the newspaper explaining the discovery of the first exoplanets that changed my life. Since that day, my interest in investigating the mysteries of the universe has been a companion. During my teenage years, I read all the books and information about astronomy I could find. And was this love for the skies that led me to a bachelor's in Aerospace engineering, and to later pursue a Ph.D. in physics at UWM. I joined Coffeeshop Astro because I wanted to motivate others to love and (maybe) work with science in the same way I was inspired by that first article. Outside of my work, I enjoy reading romances, writing and traveling.”

“ I have always found the starry night sky to be intriguing. But my genuine interest in Astronomy sparked as an 11-year-old when I was gifted an encyclopedia on space. Going through it, I realized there is more to the night sky than just the dots of light that we see. Growing up I started to take an interest in Physics to know how things work. Hence, I pursued a bachelor's and a master's in Physics and decided to continue into research. I joined the graduate program at UWM in 2022 and my research interest is gravitational wave astronomy. Back when I was in school, I used to enjoy explaining to my friends' the new things I read from different books on space. That stopped happening as I grew up. But maybe some part of me wants to do it again, hence I decided to join the Coffeeshop Astrophysics group. I like reading books and watching soccer in my spare time, and I'm also an avid gamer. ”

Shashwat Sardesai

Allie Spaulding

“I am a 4th year graduate student studying gravitational waves. When I'm not researching, I enjoys sci-fi movies, video games and writing. ”

“ Growing up in small city gave me the opportunity to look up and see tons of stars any night that I wanted to. That fascination in exploring the universe led me to pursue a Physics degree at Loyola University Chicago. I knew I wanted to continue my Physics career as a graduate student, specifically focusing on astrophysics which is why I ended up at UWM. I am pursuing my PhD with my research focusing on simulating and analyzing different astrophysical phenomena such as tidal disruption events, disk dynamics and various other aspects of theoretical astrophysics. I love that even though we might not be able to actually see everything that’s going on in the universe, we have enough tools and technology to simulate and study so much of it. Outside of school, I like to read, travel, play volleyball and spend time with my family and friends.”

Simon Yeung

“Amazed by how physics describe the world accurately, I devote myself into the career of physics. In particular, Einstein’s general relativity is one of the most elegant theories in physics. Expansion of the universe, black holes… are all amazing phenomena predicted by the theory. Here I am, studying physics, and contributing to the world. Aside from physics, I like making and drinking coffee, playing video games and reading philosophy books. Cooking is now my new hobby.”

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