I’m a PhD candidate at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, where I work with Prof. Erin Kara to study how supermassive black holes grow and affect their surroundings. Prior to coming to MIT, I graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2019 with undergraduate degrees in physics and astronomy and obtained my masters degree in astrophysics from the University of Cambridge, where I worked with Prof. Chris Reynolds on the resevoirs of gas near nearby accreting supermassive black holes.

My primarily research focus is on transient accretion flares onto supermassive black holes, which are being discovered at an ever increasing rate thanks to recent advances in multi-wavelength time-domain surveys. These surveys are revealing much more dramatic variability than we ever expected and provide new avenues with which to probe critical elements of black hole accretion, e.g. by allowing us to study how accretion disks, relativistic jets, and the X-ray corona form and evolve. I’m an observer at heart and work with a variety of observatories across the electromagnetic spectrum, to date ranging from X-rays to mid-IR, to study the evolution of these objects during their outbursts. I also have broad interests in high-energy astrophysics and have also worked on high resolution X-ray spectroscopy of nearby AGN and the evolution of AGN feedback in galaxy clusters across cosmic time.

Outside of research, I’m passionate about science communication and academic advocacy. Throughout my PhD, I was a writer for Astrobites, helped run and lead both Boston’s Astronomy on Tap chapter and the MIT Astrogazers organization, and led the MIT Physics Department’s Grads Advising Graduate Admissions initiative (GAGA). In my free time, you’ll find me escaping into nature for hiking and camping adventures, reading, or watching a women’s soccer game.

Want to get in touch? Email me at mmasters@mit.edu!