Students

I mentor undergraduates and graduate students working on astronomy & astrophysics research projects as part of their degree plans or independent research experiences. My former mentees hold positions at leading research institutions and observatories in the U.S. and Europe.

Formal instruction (Fall 2025 / Spring 2026):
PHY 2103 | Introduction to Modern Physics
Foundational relativity, quantum physics, and their applications & implications
Enrolled students: see Canvas for more information

Undergraduate Research Projects

The Open Cluster (OC) Project is a multi-year undergraduate research experience that explores how to identify fainter (M < 0.5 M_⊙) stars in Galactic open clusters. Accurate detection of these stars will provide new constraints on 3D cluster shape (including possible tidal tails), lower main sequence characteristics, and total cluster mass.

The primary source catalog is Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3). Manual, unsupervised machine learning and semi-supervised machine learning approaches are being explored. From a mathematical perspective, this is constraining structure in n-dimensional point clouds.

In addition to expanding their astronomy & astrophysics knowledge, students also deepen their technical knowledge related to data visualization for large (N > 50,000–500,000) datasets, finding structures in n-dimensional datasets, and using Python in a cloud-based JupyterLab environment. They also gain experience working within a collaborative, team-oriented research environment.

Collaborator: Dr. Alperen Ergür (Computer Science / Mathematics)
Current:  Lizette Rodriguez (Physics & Astronomy), Ricardo Vega (Physics & Astronomy; post-bac)
Former:  Farhan Tajwar Romit (Computer Science; graduated), Manuel Candanoza (Physics & Astronomy)

Former Undergraduate Mentees

Research training prepares students for careers across technical fields, not only astronomy. Former undergraduate mentees have gone on to roles in astronomical operations, data analytics, and energy.

Anastasia Alexov:   Vera C. Rubin Observatory System Commissioning Manager (Mentee, NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, Kitt Peak National Observatory, 1992)

Jacob Escalante:   Power Generation Analyst, CPS Energy (research student, UTSA, Spring / Summer 2021)

Nathan Schreffler:   Client Data Analyst, J.P. Morgan (research student, UTSA, Summer 2021)

Graduate Research Projects

I am mentoring Lani Oramas, an astrophysics doctoral student exploring how quasi-periodic eruptions (QPE) and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPO) produced by jet / accretion disk / black hole (JAB) systems — including supermassive black holes (SMBH) and active galactic nuclei (AGN) — open windows on their underlying physical properties.

I am co-mentoring Collin Sunes, a a mathematics master's student exploring the mathematical foundations of quantum theory, with particular focus on gauge field theory, gauge invariance, and the connections between field theory, topology, and operator algebras.

Former Graduate Mentees

Dr. Simona Mei: Distinguished Professor (PREX2) at Université Paris Cité (doctoral student, co-advisor, 1998–1999)

Dr. Marina Rejkuba: European Southern Observatory, Staff Astronomer and Head of the User Support Department (doctoral student, co-advisor, 2002–2004)

Dr. Mariya Lyubenova: European Southern Observatory, Staff Astronomer and Head of Media Relations (doctoral student, co-advisor, 2005–2008)

Former Postdoctoral Mentees

Dr. Harald Kuntschner: European Southern Observatory, Staff Astronomer (postdoctoral fellow, ESO, 2001–2002)

Dr. George Hau: European Southern Observatory, Staff Astronomer (postdoctoral fellow, ESO, 2002–2003)

Dr. Amy Reines: Associate Professor, Montana State University (postdoctoral fellow, NOAO, 2015–2017)