Current Position: Assistant Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute

Research Interests: Formation and evolution of planetary systems; Parent body formation and gas dissipation in intermediate-age disks; Origin and dynamics of gas and dust in debris disks

Education:

• Ph.D., Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, 2002
  Thesis: Dust and Gas Around Young Stars
  Advisor: Prof. Michael Jura
  

• B.S., Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1996
  

Appointments:

• Assistant Astronomer, STScI, 2008-present
  
• Spitzer Postdoctoral Fellow, SSC, 2005-2008
  
• NASA Astrobiology Institute Postdoc, NOAO, 2004-2005
  
• NRC Postdoctoral Research Associate, JPL, 2002-2004
  

Honors and Awards:

• Spitzer Postdoctoral Fellow, SSC, 2005-2008
  
• Outstanding Graduate Student Award, UCLA, 2002-2003
  

Professional Service:

• NASA Solar System Origins Review Panel, 2008
• Spitzer Heritage Archive Board, 2008
• STScI MAST Users' Group, 2007-2008
• NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants Review Panel, 2007-2008
• Spitzer Space Telescope Cycle 2 Science Review Panel, 2005
• Referee for Astronomy & Astrophysics, Astrophysical Journal, Astrophysical Journal Letters, Science

Selected Press Coverage:

• The New York Times
  June 5th, 2001 "Nearby Star Appears to Have Asteroid Belt"
• The Economist
  June 7th, 2001 "A Place Like Home?"
• Sky and Telescope
  November 2001 "An Asteroid Belt Like Our Own"
• Nature News
  22 August 2008 "A Star Set in Ice"
• New Scientist
  1 September 2008 "Nearby Star May Be Swarming With Comets"