What are we learning about the origins of the universe through the study of supernovae?

Supernovae are one of the main sources of the elements that are the building blocks of solar systems in different galaxies and even life on Earth. Understanding that connection, from the beginning to what we observe today, is one of the main focuses of my research program— so, understanding the properties of supernovae and the evolutionary path that they take from the first stars that were formed, that then subsequently exploded, and produced the elements that fused to create future generation of stars.

How are advances in technology helping us drive these discoveries?

Because there's only so much that we can observe and infer about the properties of these stars before and after they explode, I run detailed computer simulations in an attempt to shed light on things that wouldn't otherwise be obtainable from observations. There's a lot we're excited about with respect to the current generation of computing. Many computing facilities are developing new supercomputers, each one having computational capabilities beyond their predecessors. It’s then up to researchers like us to be creative and take advantage of the new technology. That means implementing new algorithms, codes and simulation frameworks to keep pace with advancing technology.

What put your work on the map, so to speak?

I think one of the things that led to my work getting noticed is that we're doing state-of-the-art simulations that are pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible, in terms of the detail and resolution. For instance, we run our simulations at Argonne National Lab because they provide us with the high level of computational resources to run really big simulations. We’re opening up new horizons in the field and then connecting this to other subfields in an attempt to impact the broader scientific community.

3D volume rendering of entropy during the explosion fo a 15 solar mass using a 3D progenitor model.

Tell us about what led you to astrophysics.

As cliché as it sounds, I've been interested in astronomy since I was a child. I grew up watching the Discovery Channel and science documentaries. In high school, I took Physics and I really liked my teacher who kept me engaged in class. I just stuck with it and decided I wanted to pursue it in college as well. As an undergrad, part of me wanted to get a job afterwards, but then I discovered graduate school was an option. I contacted some faculty at Arizona State to get some research experience before applying to grad school. The project I worked on there was sort of similar to what I work on now and I kind of fell in love with astrophysics. I felt like this thing I've been passionate about my whole life just blossomed.

What made you choose Michigan State University?

When I was choosing grad schools, I was fortunate to have a few options. Right on top of my priority list was the research fit – I knew I wanted to work on the study of stellar explosions using very large simulations. And my choice was really guided by my desire to work with my current PhD advisor, Sean Couch, whose work is exceptional. Having access to the right resources was also an important factor I considered. The resources that we have here at MSU, like HPC and iCER as well as the supercomputing allocations that Sean has access to, helped make my decision an easy one. I’ve enjoyed being a part of the MSU community at large in my time here too.

Could you say more about the community, both at MSU and beyond the university?

As a grad student, it's really easy to just work on your thing and talk only to the people in your department. But there's been a lot of ways that I've connected with the community. I've met some awesome people and I’ve been able to sort of ‘give back’ as a grad student as well. I heard of AGEP at a fellowship luncheon in my first year at MSU and since then I've been involved with the AGEP community. I presented my research at some of the AGEP Conferences and went on one of the advocacy trips AGEP sponsors. I was also a writing coach and grad student facilitator for SROP students one summer. In terms of my involvement with the local non-academic community, I've done interactive things through my department. For instance, I've done “Astronomy on Tap” and observatory nights, and I was part of the MSU Science Festival. Outside the MSU area, I've been part of the SpaceTime project run by the Planetary Society. I’ve participated in classroom visits where I Skype in and interact with students, sharing ‘my story’ and answering their questions. All this has really helped me on my path.

Has this recent accolade changed the game for you? What’s next? (Your Twitter handle, @CarlnotSagan got us thinking about scientists as public intellectuals… Could that be ‘in the stars’ for you?)

The truth is, I don't know. I think a lot of doors that were maybe half-open before may be wide open now. To start with, I just finished applying for postdoctoral positions. In terms of transitioning to the next stage of my career, I do want to become even more involved in science communication. I’m not sure what that will look like right now, but it's something that I'm really interested in pursuing in a more serious way. Don’t get me wrong, I want to keep doing science, which I love. But connecting communities with science, by talking about my research or just science in general, is something that I'll try to get more involved in. I’m already sharing findings from my research with broader audiences, whether it's with K-12 students or just the layperson. I do want to say that a lot of other people on that Forbes 30 under 30 list are science communicators that I look up to as well, so to be recognized alongside them was really awesome.

In all the interviews you’ve done of late, is there anything you wish someone had asked?

I guess, maybe, what do you think led to this happening, this sort of recognition? To me, it's been unreal, and I think it just kind of happened. I know a lot of people that do what I do, who are very deserving of this award, and I want their work to be promoted and applauded in a similar way. I guess this is more a comment than a question, but it's something that I feel like I haven't been asked about. If there's anything I would just say, it’s: go check out all the awesome people I follow on Twitter because they're doing great work as well.

This interview was conducted in December 2020