The University of Chicago
Mike Gladders (he/him)
I’m Mike (he/him/his), a professor at the University of Chicago, and the originator of both the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey (SGAS) and COOL-LAMPS. My research is discovery oriented - in the early parts of my career I focused on the discovery of large numbers of distant galaxy clusters and using them to measure cosmological parameters. In the past decade I have segued to focusing on the smaller subset of massive structures that act as strong lenses, using such systems to study both the background universe, and the foreground lens distribution. I’m grateful that in my work I have been able to collaborate with extraordinary people, and that I’ve been able to build abiding friendships with research as a common thread; the communal process of discovery that results feeds my happiness!
Katya Gozman (she/her)
I’m Katya (she/her), a second-year PhD student at the University of Michigan. I’m originally from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, and I got a BS in Astrophysics from UChicago in 2020. In undergrad, my research primarily focused on gravitational lensing and galaxies with Prof. Mike Gladders while also dabbling in machine learning and neural networks with Dr. Brian Nord. Now in grad school I’m working on galaxy mergers and stellar halos with Prof. Eric Bell, currently studying the spiral galaxy M94. I love doing astronomy outreach and frequently volunteer with a STEAM education non-profit called GLAS.
Jason Lin (he/him)
I’m Jason, a member of the UChicago Class of 2021. I was part of the first COOL-LAMPS collaboration in 2020, where I did work with the DeCALS survey and spectral reduction. My current research interests include human-robot interaction, computer vision, and speech processing!
Daniel Marohnic (he/him)
I am a student in the UChicago Class of 2022 studying astrophysics and economics. I am really interested in dark matter, galaxy formation and cosmology. I am interested in the COOL-LAMPS project because it one of pure exploration and trying to find objects that no other human has observed before. A fun fact is that I am from Florida but I love cold weather.
Isaac Sierra (he/him)
I am an astrophysics major in the UChicago Class of 2022 with various research interests including cosmology and spectroscopy currently, but I have found that pretty much anything astrophysics related excites me, so at this point I am in no hurry to narrow down my options yet. In my free time you’ll find me playing soccer and exploring nature with friends, with the beach being the primary spot for both of these activities. My ultimate goal in my eventual astrophysics career is just to have the opportunity to research in an area that never ceases to excite me. I can’t ask for much better than that.
Emily Sisco (she/hers)
Hi! I am Emily, a am Astrophysics major and Germanic Studies minor in the UChicago class of 2021. I am currently working with a selection of early type galaxies that we have discovered during our searches. I love taking walks around Chicago and listening to podcasts.
Ezra Sukay (he/him)
I'm Ezra Sukay (he/him) and Astrophysics major in the Class of 2021! I wrote my senior thesis with Mike about C00L-J1323+0343, a lensed quiescent galaxy we discovered in our lens search. We're characterizing its morphology to understand more about early-type galaxy evolution. In my free time, I love baking, hiking, and listening to podcasts!
Kiyan Tavangar (he/him)
I am part of the first-generation of COOL-LAMPS undergraduates. Within COOL-LAMPS I am interested in galaxy formation and evolution. Outside of COOL-LAMPS I do near-field cosmology research. I love playing and following most sports, having competed in cross country and track during my undergrad years and soccer for a long time before that. In the evenings, I enjoy relaxing by discovering TV shows (past favorites have included Doctor Who, The Wire, and The Bureau).
- Michael D. Gladders (Faculty and Principal Investigator)
- Gourav Khullar (Teaching Assistant and Graduate Instructor)
- Finian Ashmead
- Will Cerny
- Katya Gozman
- Ben Levine
- Jason Lin
- Viraj Manwadkar
- Daniel Marohnic
- Michael Martinez
- Owen Matthews Acuña
- Liz Medina
- Kaiya Merz
- Jorge Sanchez
- Isaac Sierra
- Emily Sisco
- Daniel Stein
- Ezra Sukay
- Kiyan Tavangar
- Erik Zaborowski
- Yunchong Zhang
