We had approximately 191 applications from across the country for the 14 spots in our 2022 CIERA REU program!
The 2022 CIERA REU took place in person (after the two previous years were fully remote due to COVID-19). We were all extremely excited to get back to our normal summer routine. This was also the first year that our students worked in CIERA’s new office space in 1800 Sherman Ave. The students did a fantastic job this summer!
Below you will find information about these very talented students who spent the 2022 summer in Evanston with us. Please click on each student’s name to visit their research website, which they each developed during their REU to present their research projects.
Students listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Rafael Catena
Harold Washington College (Physics), Sophomore
Advisor: Aaron Geller
Project: The Binary Star Properties of the Open Cluster NGC 7789
Dylan Chambers
Illinois State University (Physics), Junior
Advisor: Alvin Bayliss
Project: Three-Species Competition Models in the Presence of Saturation
Trevin Cox
Wilber Wright College (Aerospace Engineering), Sophomore
Advisor: Sasha Tchekhovskoy + Nick Kaaz
Project: Jet Formation and Black Hole Spin
Micaela Foreman
Williams College (Astronomy & English), Junior
Advisor: Erin Cox + Giles Novak
Project: A Polarized View of Per-emb-11 in the Perseus Molecular Cloud
Ian Freeman
Illinois State University (Physics, Computational Physics, Math), Junior
Advisor: Daniel Lecoanet
Project: Measuring Internal Magnetic Fields of Massive Stars using Asteroseismology
Dana Kullgren
University of Delaware (Physics), Sophomore
Advisor: Giacomo Fragione + Fred Rasio
Project: Comparing Simulation Data with LIGO Data to Constrain the Initial Mass Function
Sasha Levina
Haverford College (Astronomy), Junior
Advisors: Meng Sun + Vicky Kalogera
Project: Applying Wind Roche-Lobe Overflow in Binary Evolution using MESA and
POSYDON
Ayanna Mann
Howard University (Physics), Freshman
Advisors: Adam Miller
Project: Improved Model of Optical Elements Involved in ZTF Transmissions
Esther Miller
North Park University (Physics, Math), Junior
Advisor: Elvira Mulyukova
Project: Water on Venus
Erin Motherway
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Astronomy), Junior
Advisor: Aaron Geller
Project: Using Bayesian Statistics Software (BASE-9) to Analyze Binary Stars in Open Clusters M67 and M35
Darshan Patel
Haverford College (Astronomy & Physics), Junior
Advisor: Selim Shahriar
Project: Constraining Properties of Subliminal Lasers for Use in Dark Matter Detection
Edin Peskovic
Illinois Institute of Technology (Astronomy), Junior
Advisor: Charlie Kilpatrick
Project: Measuring the Binary Fraction of Type II-P/II-L Supernova Progenitor Systems
Henry Purcell
University of California Berkeley (Physics & Math), Sophomore
Advisor: André de Gouvêa
Project: The Day Night Effect: Probing the Nature of the Earth and the Neutrino
Claire Zwicker
Illinois Institute of Technology (Astronomy & Physics), Senior
Advisor: Aaron Geller
Project: Applying Bayesian Statistics to Identify Binaries in the Open Cluster NGC 6819
